Smoke and Mirrors
by PrickleyPear
Summary: The times are changing. Nick and Judy started an early career relationship, yet a canine group seems tempted to do damage where they can to the city. And when an unexpected figure shows up, it just compounds problems. Rated M to be safe. There will be some cursing. First Fanfic, so don't judge me for the quality. Thanks to Evil-Copper, my editor. PM if interested in joining us.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic, so don't expect the incredible stuff that other, much more talented authors post. On that hand, I'm looking for anybody interested in being an editor. Well, enjoy.**

"Why don't you let me carry anything, Nick?" Judy asked, walking alongside her boyfriend as they climbed the stairs of their apartment building.

Nick, refusing to answer, continued to carry the bags up the stairs, taking note of the floor number.

Nick and Judy's apartment building was situated on the border of tundratown and Sahara square. The main reason the pair had chosen to live there was due to the low rent and lack of many mammals. The only problem in their eyes was the weather. The weather here was more strange. If the wind was blowing right, the weather would be right around freezing with gusts of wind ranging to the mid seventies, the complete opposite of windchill.

Nick came to the top of the stairs, a happy smile on his face as the rabbit a few steps behind him turned around, scowling. "How can you be so happy?"

"Donno. It's kind of my default, Carrots. Either that, or I may still be beaming because my girlfriend just moved in with me," Nick asked, speeding up and skipping to Judy, smiling at her annoyed face.

"You know I had no choice. I can't be living in an even crappier apartment than my old one."

After Judy "went undercover to draw out Bellwether" as the whole thing was being spun, she was forced to find an apartment as soon as possible. After three days of living in her office, she finally found an apartment that would take her on such short notice. The only problem was the apartment itself. Judy was convinced that it met few, if any, health codes.

Nick unlocked the door to his apartment. The building was the nicest in the neighborhood, and their apartment reflected that. Nick laid the keys into the bowl and walked into the kitchen, setting the bags of groceries onto the table.

"I always wanted to be a cop, but I do love coming home every day," Judy said, sitting on the couch and removing her foot wraps. Foot wraps had become a popular alternative to going bare pawed for many mammals in the force.

Judy leaned against her partner, checking her phone for the average news. Judy scrolled past headline after headline.

 _Richest mammal in Zootopia donates millions to charity_

 _Lionheart, behind the mammal_

 _Hero cops to be the next major flops_

Judy tapped the third headline, curious to see who had a bone to pick with her and her partner.

 _This city lacks the basic knowledge of how things work. And no, this isn't a political advertisement or anything along those lines. What this is, is a strong argument why the city's beloved rookie cops shouldn't be the lead officers on a big case._

 _Now I don't question what the pair has done. They took down Bellwether, several drug and crime rings, and stopped a robbery. However, the pair should never be put in these situations. They're both rookies. These big cases need to be lead by a senior officer. I'm sure they can be a valuable asset to-"_

"That the Hero Cops one?" Nick asked, peering over Judy's head and down at her phone.

Judy held the phone screen to her chest, mock feeling hurt that Nick would spy on her. Nick chuckled, walking to the living room and flipping on the TV.

Judy followed, grabbing her book from the end table. Judy sat, snuggling up to her boyfriend while Nick had the TV on, though neither were really watching. Judy knew it was hockey, but she was occupied with her book.

Nick knew which teams were playing and the score, but was also occupied with his phone.

 _*God-damn it, Nick! Your sister came around again 4 u. I'm done sending her away. You need to talk 2 her. We R at the normal spot. Be here in 20 or I tell her ur address*_

Nick groaned at the text from his old partner. His paws were tied. He turned and kissed Judy.

"Back in an hour."

Judy wasn't one to argue, knowing Nick had a reason. She nodded, acknowledging that she had heard. Nick got to his feet and was on his way out the door. On the way down, Nick decided to use the cruiser just because he didn't feel like walking.

Nick pulled up to the regular alley that the van was parked in, knowing full well that the pair were inside, talking. Finnic was probably spilling all of Nick's dark secrets, but that didn't matter. Nick's sister already was familiar with secrets Finnic didn't even know about. If he were to worry about anything, it would be Olivia spilling Nick's secrets. He shuddered at that thought.

Nick took a deep breath and banged on the back door thrice, without any response. Nick slapped himself. He knew Finnic wouldn't let an outsider into the van. Nick walked down the street to Finnic and his (and latter Judy and his) normal diner, knowing Finnic would talk to the vixen over something to eat. Olivia was the only mammal other than Nick that Finnic treated well.

Nick pushed the door to the '50s diner open, the familiar bell ringing and the owner's bellow that his favorite customer was here.

"Thanks, Sam, but I've got some foxes to talk to," Nick said, holding up his paw.

"That's why your normal is already on the table," Sam replied, his already projecting voice filling the small diner.

"Thanks, Sam."

Nick walked across the diner to the table where a Finnic sat with Olivia. Finnic stood and left, Nick replacing his spot in the boot and pulling his plate towards himself.

"Last time I heard from you was your graduation from the academy," the vixen said, staring at Nick with her eyes identical to Nick's. Nick now understood why mammals felt uncomfortable when he stared at them. "That was… 9 months ago. All my information came through Mom."

"I'm sorry, Liv," Nick said, pushing his plate away. He would definitely not be eating. "I should have at least sent a text. A muzzletime here or there. You look good though."

"Mom says you're dating," Olivia started. Nick flushed with red. It wouldn't have shown through his fur, but Olivia knew her brother far too well. "Hey. Nothing to be ashamed of. I support you no matter what species you date."

"But Mom doesn't know I'm dating a-"

"I'm going off what my nose tells me," Olivia replied. "I won't say anything to her, but you know she's going to be thrilled. You haven't exactly been the social type since the incident. Surprised you let her in this early though. Took you what? Three years to warm up to S-"

"I haven't spoken to her in years, Liv. We went our separate ways and that was that. I mean, I wouldn't mind talking to her again, but I doubt I could even find her," Nick replied, looking down at his food and back to Olivia. Olivia passed Nick an envelope.

"That's everyone I could track down. She's in there. ZBI. She didn't live a quiet life. You just looked in the wrong places," Olivia replied.

Nick was about to continue before he heard screams from the street. Both rushed out to see the commotion, a sight that chilled their bones.

A jewelry store began filling with a yellow gas. The lack of odor showed that it was no accidental mixing of chemicals. Nick took another deep breath as Olivia backed away from the door, gagging and coughing.

Nick, realizing he was still in his uniform, pulled out his sidearm, knowing the perp wouldn't get far. But the lack of mammals leaving the store meant that this was so much more.

Nick tried the doors before putting a shot at the lock, shattering it. Mammals immediately flooded out.

"Is anyone hurt?" Nick called at the group of panicked mammals. A hyena stepped forward.

"A small family of rabbits all collapsed."

Nick's instincts took over, Nick busting through the crowd and into the gas filled store. Nick sprinted around, looking for any sign of the rabbits.

Nick walked down the hallway from the labs at the ZPD. He hadn't taken one step until Olivia was in his arms.

"Nick. Promise me you won't do anything stupid like that again," Olivia said softly. Nick nodded. They stood in each other's arms, their fears melting away.

Nick released the vixen and walked towards the break room, the vixen following him. Nick pulled out his wallet and got a bag of fried crickets from the vending machine.

"You saved a lot of mammals," Wolford said. "Everyone back at the hospital wants to thank you."

"Wilde. The blood tests are in," Bogo said, walking through the door. Nick never knew how the chief magically new his officer's exact location.

"And?" Nick asked.

"You need to see for yourself."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Well. I'm honestly surprised anybody read my story, truth be told. Now I guess I should "commit" to a loosely based deadline. Call it twice every three weeks. Now I reserve the right to change this deadline at any point of my choosing, but I'll try for that. Now I'm excited for the next few chapters because I have bits written of the next three and I'm SOOOOO happy with an OC loosely based off my roommate.**

 **For this chapter, I included Jack Savage and Skylar Frost due to lack of any original character ideas. I'm not adding them in the description because they won't be big parts of the story. HOWEVER, Nick's sister will be, so I'm adding OC to the description.**

 **(I am realizing that the stories refuse to double space the breaks in the story. I'll figure out another way to figure it out)**

 **If you reached this far, then I hope you liked the first chapter, so… thanks for returning? Ah. Who cares?**

Nick stared in disbelief at the paper right in front of him. Olivia and Judy alike were peering over (or for Judy, under) Nick's shoulders at the exact same paper Nick was looking at.

"I didn't think that was possible," Judy said, a look of confusion plastered across her face.

"It isn't, or wasn't believed so. Now, the problem is that it goes for all nervous system modifiers."

"So that explains why painkillers don't work for you," Olivia said. Nick nodded.

"But, that also means that he's immune to the more… weaponizable ones, like whatever was in that building," Judy said. "You're sure it isn't mustard gas and just a accidental mixing of chemicals?"

"Positive. No odor," Nick said. The chief medical examiner, a short and stocky gazelle, nodded in agreement.

Nick folded the paper and put it in his pocket. He'd have to some investigation about the whole immunity to nervous system modifiers. He thanked the medical examiner and left, not wanting to spend another minute in that small office.

"I drew the short straw for the press conference. See you guys after?" Judy asked. The pair both nodded.

The pair walked up towards Nick and Judy's shared office. They passed a few officers, a few giving a double take. Nick groaned mentally when Clawhouser walked past, knowing that he would want to talk.

"Who's the vixen, Nick?" Benjamin asked, his expression full of joy and curiosity. Nick saw no way out, so he figured a few mammals learning a small part of his backstory wouldn't hurt him.

"T-"

"I'm Olivia, Nick's twin sister," Olivia said, knowing perfectly well that she would get a reaction out of her brother.

"You never said anything about a sister, Nick," Benjamin said.

"I don't talk about my personal life often," Nick replied, knowing word about his sister would spread like wildfire. "Well, Ben. It's been great, but we've got to go."

Nick lead the vixen away from the Clawhouser and to the second floor office. Nick tossed the stack of paperwork off the chair and gestured for Olivia to sit.

"You're a rookie officer with an office?"

"Technically, Judy is almost out of the rookie stage and I'm her partner, so that's how this happened," Nick said. He leaned back in his chair.

"Are you embarrassed of me?"

Nick knew the question was coming and had his answer prepared. "Of course I'm not. We're foxes though, Liv. You know how secretive we can be. And then I'm more secretive than most foxes."

"Trust me, I know. I used to think it was you and me against the world, but now I-" Olivia started.

"Don't think for a moment that I'm not standing by you. Things may be a bit more complicated now and will only get more complicated with my relationship with Judy, but I'll be there for you. Those five words I swear to you," Nick told the vixen.

*ring*

Nick and Olivia both jumped as the sound startled both. Nick picked up the phone. "This is Wilde."

"Nick. I have a visitor for you. You free?" Clawhouser asked, Nick tapping his claws against the desk.

"Yeah. Will you take Olivia down to the break room?" Nick asked.

"Actually, it would be better if she stayed," Clawhouser replied. Nick looked confusedly at Olivia.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"It's been a long time," James Francis Wilde told the pair.

"It's only been 22 years, 2 months, 19 days," Olivia replied angrily. Nick knew his sister and knew she was using all her willpower to hold back the urge to slap their father. And if he was honest with himself, he was too.

"Only missed our high school graduation, my acceptance into the the police force, Olivia's college graduation, and so on," Nick added, crossing his arms angrily.

"And for that, I am truly sorry."

"And you were so sorry that you never came back? Tried to contact us?" Nick asked, snapping at his father.

"How long have they been at it?" Judy asked Benjamin.

"Awhile now," Benjamin replied, leaning against the corner. It didn't alert any of them that he was watching, but it wasn't very easy to see and they couldn't hear because of the soundproof glass. "I thought you and Nick were an unstoppable force, and I'm not saying you aren't, but damn. Those two read each other so well. It's like they know each other's move before they know it themselves."

"Hmm…" Judy replied, scratching the back of her head. "Which one is older?" Judy felt embarrassed as she didn't know wether her boyfriend's sister was older or younger than him.

"Twins."

"I never even knew Nick had a sibling. He never said anything about her," Judy said.

"I wouldn't think anything of it, Judy. Nick never said anything about his family to anybody. He never even spoke about his past," Benjamin replied, taking another bite of his chocolate glazed doughnut.

"He visits his mom once a week. DON'T let that get out. You know the others will give him shit," Judy added sternly. Benjamin nodded, the rabbit's tone telling exactly what would happen to him if he were to let it slip. "That's all I knew about his family except for the fact that he tried hunting his dad down when he first joined."

Judy watched as the two twins walked out of the office and stood by the doorway. Judy walked over, Olivia spotting her first before she pointed Judy out to Nick.

"Well. Introductions. Olivia, Lieutenant Judy Hopps, my girlfriend. Carrots, Oliv- sorry. Doctor Olivia Wilde, my twin sister," Nick corrected himself.

"Nick! Quit introducing me as Doctor! You make it sound like I'm a medical doctor!" Olivia complained, pulling Nick's ear.

"Ow, ow, ow ow! Okay! I give up!" Nick cried out. Olivia let go of Nick's ear, watching him gingerly rub it. Judy would have to remember that trick.

"I take it you're the better twin?" Judy asked, teasing Nick. Judy had been expecting a comment targeted towards her family, yet what she received was a surprise.

"Of course she is. Have you met me?"

"Oh! Mom texted me. She was in the rainforest district, so she's on her way," Olivia said, staring into her phone.

Judy stood and listened to the conversation between her boyfriend and his sister.

"What do you think of this?" Olivia asked, giving Nick a look.

"He changed. My nose is telling me that he gave up drinking, or at least does it moderately," Nick said.

"Still smells of cigars," Olivia replied. She scratched her head. "He puzzles me to this day. Do you remember that scar running down his cheek?"

"No. He definitely is hiding something, but I can't figure out what."

"He still loves your mother."

"What?" both foxes asked, spinning towards Judy. She pointed through the glass door at the tod, holding a picture of a younger him and a younger vixen. "No way."

"We can't tell Mom. She'll pity him and get back with him. We have to let him win her back."

"Why are we even assuming that we want to see him again?" Olivia asked.

"Because we want to see Mom happy again. We can suck it up if Mom is happy," Nick replied, the vixen remaining quiet for Nick. She rolled over for a moment before nodding.

Judy was nervous around the family of four. As Olivia had told her, the entire family had taken a quick liking to the doe. However, it hardly made her more comfortable. What had made her comfortable was that Nick's paw was laced in her's the entire time.

"So let me get this straight. You ran into a building full of a then unknown gas, who had affected the others all in a negative way?" Nick's father asked. Nick nodded. Judy could tell he was having a hard time with his father. "I'm trying to decide if there is more courage running through your veins than I expected or fewer brains than I expected."

Judy's mind jumped to half a dozen witty comebacks that Nick would use, yet the lack of any of them surprised her.

Judy's phone buzzed from a text from her friend.

 _'Yo, Jude. Saw the press conference. I'm on the case over here. Our bosses are on the phone right now.'_

 _'Damn it, Jack. It is not really a great time for this.'_

 _'Fine. Text me when you get a chance. It's been a long time since I've talked to my childhood best friend.'_

Judy hit the power button on her phone, giving Nick a look for looking over her shoulder.

"I'm allowed to have old friends," Judy defended herself. Nick raised his paws.

"I'm not threatened," Nick replied, stroking his bunny. "You bunnies are so eager to jump to conclusions."

"Are not!"

"Whatever you say, Carrots," Nick replied.

Judy stood, washing her paws in the lowest restroom sink. She looked up to the vixen, who was taking the next sink up.

"Ms H-"

"Judy."

"Very well, Judy. It is rare that I see my brother like this. He has been happier than he has been in years. So, let me disclose some information. We are 26, not 30 or whatever he says nowadays. Second. Many mammals would consider him rich. I know the full extent, but I will let him tell you when he's ready. Finally, this is just a little information about foxes. When we've found someone that we're willing to spend our lives with, we hold on and always try to make it work. If you're not comfortable with that, then I'd suggest getting out of the relationship."

Judy was surprised that a vixen, who she had just been acquainted with, was telling her all this information about her boyfriend.

"Don't think for a moment that I would ever get out of a relationship with Nick. I've fought too hard to be with him," Judy replied, staring the vixen in the eyes. She had the exact same green eyes that her brother had. "And I could care less if he was penniless or if he was the richest mammal in Zootopia. And finally, his file says his real age."

The vixen nodded, looking down at the rabbit, as if she was thinking about what the doe had just said. When she finished, she spoke. "He doesn't open up to many outsiders, but you may be an exception. My brother doesn't open up to mammals because, and you didn't hear this from me, he fears that anyone he opens up to is going to leave us like our dad. Make it clear to him that you would never leave him."

Judy laid against Nick as they watch a movie. Nick had begun to lightly pet Judy while he watched. The movie was a comedy, the one genre the pair could agree on.

Judy snickered at a particularly funny joke that flew right over Nick's head. It probably dodged him since the joke was about farming.

That's how all comedies went in the city. There were jokes for predators, jokes for prey, jokes for large mammals, jokes for small mammals, and the list continued.

Judy looked up into the green void that were Nick's eyes. If it were up to her, she would get lost in those eyes for hours on end. She felt Nick's tail curl around her.

"You know I am with you to the end, right?"

"Where is this coming from?" Nick asked, cocking an eyebrow at the ball of grey fur. "Liv set you up, didn't she?"

"No. Well- Kind of. It was my decision, but it was her suggestion."

"I'm not easily convinced, Carrots," Nick replied.

"I'm sure a ring would do it," Judy countered, watching Nick go wide eyed. She knew it was early in the relationship and that talking about marriage was a huge step, but she had to convince Nick.

"You're serious?"

"Nicholas Wilde, I am so serious that I would quit my job to be with you," Judy replied, smiling as the trick had been done.

Judy checked the time on her phone again, the album cover of one of her songs taking up the background as the song played in her ear. It was still early, but Jack was always early.

Judy sipped at her carrot tea before gagging in disgust. Judy set the tea down and looked out the window at the light snowfall of Tundratown out the glass window. The idea to meet here was Jack's idea, and she didn't mind that it was within walking distance from her shared apartment with Nick.

Judy jumped as someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Well, Ms Valedictorian. Nice to see you."

Judy smiled and pulled out her earbuds before she hugged her only childhood friend outside of family. Jack was really the only one back home that knew what Judy was going through, wanting (and succeeding) to get into the ZBI.

"It's good to see you too, Jack," Judy replied, jestering for Jack to have a seat across from her.

"Remember that diner down by your parents property that we would always do some competition to see who bought lunch at?" Jack said, smiling at the memory. Judy giggled and remembered if wonderfully. "Oh how the times have changed."

"How so?"

"I mean we used to always hang out after class. Now, we have our own personal lives," Jack said, sighing a deep sigh and taking a deep drink of his coffee. "I miss those days."

Judy thought about how much time she was spending with Nick before he had the nerve to ask her out. Practically every day, they either planned something or just spent it on Nick's couch, watching TV.

"Jack? Did you ever…" Judy hesitated. If she finished her question, Jack might think about her in a lesser way. "Ah screw it. Did you ever have feelings towards me?"

Jack snorted, coffee spilling from his lips. "What?!"

"You heard me," Judy replied, her fingers lacing through each other. She realized here the horrible idea that she had.

Jack sighed. "Never really had it for a doe." Jack's eyes widened. "That came out wrong. I- ugh…"

"Don't have a thing for rabbits?" Judy suggested. Jack, blushing through his fur, nodded. His ears were covering his face.

"I mean…. I have a girlfriend, Jude," Jack stared blankly. He shook his head and laughed again. "A vixen at that."

"So. You're just like me," Judy implied. Jack's ears immediately shot up and his deep, brown eyes looked at the last bunny he expected to be going out with a predator.

"You've got a thing for foxes?"

"You know it," Judy replied, smiling. "No way in hell I know how to tell my parents, and I'm assuming you're the same way."

"I know," Jack replied.

The two looked at each other, realizing that their struggles were quite similar. "How's the ZBI treating you?"

"It's rough, but it's what I signed up for," Jack replied, looking cautiously out the window.

"You expecting someone?" Judy asked, trying to look at what Jack was looking for. An arctic vixen walked into view, and Judy heard Jack's breathing change. What surprised her was her boyfriend was chatting with the vixen.

Judy watched as Jack's face turned red, obviously from anger of what he probably presumed a fox flirting with his girlfriend.

"You know that it was HIS faul-" Nick said, walking through the door to the near empty coffee shop, the bell that alerted the workers ringing.

"Listen here, you orange bastard. Th-" Jack cut Nick off from talking, pointing a finger at the fox an inch away from his muzzle. Nick simply pushed the finger out of his face.

"Jack. Calm down," the two females said at the exact time. They shot each other a confused look.

"Jack. This is my friend, Nick," the vixen said, gesturing to Nick.

"And my boyfriend," Judy added.

"What is with rabbits jumping to conclusions so easily?" Nick asked the vixen, getting a slug from Judy. "Well, Stripes. I'll let you introduce these two."

Jack looked between the two and mentally sighed. Every inch of his body wanted to do the complete opposite of what that stupid fox told him to do, but it wasn't like him to not introduce mammals.

Jack, sighing in defeat, introduced the two. "Jude, this is Skye. Skye, Judy."

The two immediately held out their paws and shook them. "Nice to meet you, Skye."

"And you, Judy," Skye replied.

The three exchanged conversations, Nick being the quiet one oddly enough. His phone buzzed six times, all from a group chat with his family.

Nick, seeing an opportunity to slide away, took it. He was out the door quickly and hailing for a cab.

"Avalanche and Frostbite."

Nick shot Judy a quick text that he had left to deal with his family.

Judy pulled out her phone, expecting an explanation text from Nick.

'My mom and dad are getting over some dark stuff and my mom wants me there with her'

'No problem'

"Hey. Where'd Nick go?" Skye asked, her eyes darting around the small shop.

"His dad showed up yesterday and the four of them are trying to figure things out," Judy replied. The vixen went wide eyed.

"You're kidding."

"Yeah. He's kind of shaken up. I've never seen him like this. I knew he lied about his age, but I never knew he had a sister," Judy explained.

"Yeah. He keeps Liv a pretty tight secret. And he doesn't say much about his family. He still visit his mom every other month?"

"It's every month now, but yeah. He does," Judy replied. She shook her head. "Alright. We met up for a reason. W-"

"ALRIGHT! LISTEN UP! THIS IS A ROBBERY! EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND!"

Nick stared at his childhood home from the curbside.

"You want me to wait?"

"Nah. This might take awhile," Nick replied. He walked across the lawn, raised his paw to the door, but hesitated. Was he willing to forgive his father?

Nick, sucking it up, quickly knocked twice. Olivia opened the door and ushered him inside without saying a word. When it came to Olivia, they rarely even had to speak to get their point across with the other. He had been told that it was just a litter mate thing, but it always freaked others out, so they rarely did it in public.

Nick walked into the living room, smelling the faint smell of cigar smoke that lingered long after their dad left. The appulsty looked newer, probably a few years old now.

"Dads out back," Olivia told Nick, eying him carefully. "Moms upstairs. It's definitely been tough on her."

"She's strong, though," Nick replied, walking over to the stairs.

"Hey!" Olivia called up. "How is this on you?"

"It's okay," Nick said, shrugging his shoulders. Olivia folded her arms. She knew her brother far too well to actually know that he was okay with all this. "It's rough, Liv. You and I both knew that it would be hard if he tried to come back into our lives. It's far from over as well."

"Nick. Do you ever… regret him not being here?"

"Honestly, it would have been nice growing up with two parents, but if it were to change how we turned out at all, I'd rather it stay the way it was," Nick replied. Olivia nodded. "I'm going to go get Mom."

Nick walked up the stairs, remembering every minor detail. The seventh stair creaking, the broken railing post nearest to Olivia's room, even the paint chipping next to the master bedroom door.

What caught Nick's attention was the slightly open door to his old room. He pushed the door open and marveled at the fact that it was exactly as he left it.

Nick had always returned to that room, whether after an easy day of conning or a hard week of his more questionable means.

Nick, deciding it wouldn't hurt to take a peak, pushed the door open. If he needed to lay low after a particularly dangerous, or stupid, or illegal stunt, his mother always welcomed him in, no questions asked.

Nick walked in and sat on the bed, taking in all the memories.

"Been awhile since you've slept there." Nick turned to face his mother. She was growing grey fur around her muzzle and eyes, but her smile was full of warmth. "I am glad that you found yourself somebody, Nicki. I kind of gave up hope for grandkits after what happened with the junior rangers and how solitary you became after. Only ever saw you when you came down to eat."

"It's not going to be easy if we do decide to adopt, Mom. We'll obviously have to find new partners and while the mammal inclusion initiative is making headway, the larger tigers, lions, and whatnot are all the ones making the top 5. Judy and I were kind of abnormalities," Nick replied. "So you and Dad."

"He wants a second chance. He's been trying to prove himself to me."

"But the past is getting in the way," Nick finished the sentence for the vixen. She nodded.

"My financial situation isn't the best either."

"And I am always happy to help," Nick replied.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes! Yes! YES! I GOT AN EDITOR! I am SO pumped right now. Please go check out Evil-Copper. He's a great author and a god send and I'll be leaving a link to his profile at the end of the Author's Note. This chapter is a little bit shorter than chapter two and took a lot longer than I had hoped because we were figuring things out with different time zones, how we were going to share the documents, etc., but we figured it out. Know that I am going to have to change the times to once every two weeks if I'm going to get the longer chapters I want out, and I also have to balance classes and homework somewhere in there as well. Also, I found a way to do my breaks. They will be noted as (** **/-\\).** **But, that's all for this time. Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Evil-Copper's profile: u/7761946/**

 **/-\**

"You good, Hopps?" Bogo asked, kneeling down in front of the rabbit. "Must I call Wilde to come get you?"

"I-I'm good, Chief. I walked, so there's no car to go back to," Judy replied, rubbing her wrists where they were Ziptied.

"Savage. Frost. You two okay?"

"Yep. Been in worse situations before," Jack replied, also rubbing his wrists. "I was stupid not having my gun on me."

"Hey. We were all off duty. They can't expect us to always carry a weapon," Skye replied, resting a paw on Jack's shoulder.

Judy stared at the wolf being shoved into the back of the cruiser harshly. She felt no remorse, a feeling that felt odd to the doe.

"He gave up a name. Says that a 'Christopher Prowler' paid him to hold up the store."

"That sack of shit has better things to do than hold up a coffee shop. In broad daylight? He wanted this guy out of the picture," Wolford said, stopping as he walked past the group. "The dude is messed up. Held a great face, getting out of taxes by donating millions to charity every year. But in the Alpine, he's tearing families apart almost as fast as the region itself."

"The region?" Judy asked.

"He's trying to suck as much oil out of the region as he can," Skye explained, "causing a lot of earthquakes. Killed a hiker in a landslide. Got out of it from reasonable doubt. He's untouchable."

"Right you are, Frost. He's been sued a couple dozen times. He's won every case."

 **/-\**

Nick snapped awake from his nap as his alarm went off. He rubbed his eyes, seeing that he was neither in his apartment nor alone.

"Started to think that you died," Olivia replied, not even looking up from her phone. "I think that they're getting along. Seems as if your plan is working."

"I'll never forgive him, though," Nick replied, still angry at his father for abandoning the family. "Liv. There is no doubt in my mind that he has good intentions. Anyone can see that he does. But I see him as any other fox. I may be around because of him, but I'm not who I am because of him."

Nick looked past the glass sliding door to the backyard, where his father sat at a chair while smoking a cigar. Nick shook his head and turned away, towards Olivia. "What're you thinking about?"

"Work. We're working on-"

"Remember. High school is as far as I went," Nick said. Whenever it came to math, it seemed that Olivia might as well have been spewing Japanese at him, as nearly everything went over his head.

"We're trying to come up with a more efficient electric car engine," Olivia explained. She flipped her notepad towards Nick, showing a large math problem that Nick just shook his head at.

"You're powering the future, Liv. I'm sure that we will all come to accept electric cars over gas powered ones," Nick replied sarcastically. Olivia rolled her eyes, her brother always teasing her about her job.

 _*ring*_

Olivia watched as Nick's face filled with shock and his emerald eyes fill with gut-wrenching fear.

"I'll be right over. Stay there, Carrots."

 **/-\**

Thelonious drove the police cruiser down the highway, headed for one of the two districts that he had never been to.

And gladly it wasn't the nocturnal district.

The few of his officers were from the Alpine sneered at the name of the Snow leopard that he needed to see.

Apparently, he was the richest mammal in all of Zootopia, managing an empire ranging to everything, but specializing in oil.

Thelonious did not know what to expect when it came to this guy, his officers telling him one thing but his record showing another.

Bogo watched as his scenery turned to a breathtaking view of the mountain range. Bogo soon found the view less incredible as a freezing rain fell down onto the roads. He made turn, sliding around the corner a little, down a beaten dirt track, the sight of oil pumps all down the road on either side. He arrived at pump 1-1-7.

Bogo wrapped himself in a large coat and walked over to the fence.

"Beat it, man. The protest is 20 miles down the road," a tundra wolf told the water buffalo. Thelonious fumbled with his coat and pulled out his ID. "Follow me."

Bogo was lead through the bustling oil pump, the loud noise nearly deafening him. The wolf opened the door to the small, portable building.

"Mr Prowler will see you in a moment."

Bogo heard a mammal speaking on the phone through the cracked door.

"Agree to pay for their kid's tuition. I'm looking at their social media and they are obsessed with him. Throw in a job for as long as he wants it. That'll get them to sign. Don't say what for though."

Bogo heard a click of a phone hanging up and an "Enter."

"Christopher Prowler," Thelonious said, sitting down in the largest chair.

"Thelonious Edward Bogo. Chief of police for 4 years, an officer 20 before that. Had a jab in the political office, working as a financial manager. Sought the mayoral election, but dropped out, telling his supporters to vote for Lionheart. He wins, and he appoints you Chief of Police," Prowler replied, obviously showing him up. "And Chris, though the only name that my employees use for me that they know I know is Mr Prowler."

"Well, Chris. A store in Tundratown was robbed, two good ZBI agents and one of my best officers were on the other end of the gun. The only name the perp gave up was yours. Care to explain?" Thelonious asked. The snow leopard stood up, biting the end of his pen.

"Well. I'd be surprised if anyone from the hounds wasn't going after me," Prowler explained. He smiled to himself, obviously remembering a particularly interesting memory.

"The hounds? As in the German Hounds?" Bogo asked, now the one delving into memory. The hounds was his first big case. He thought he managed to shut down the whole operation, yet apparently not.

"The one and only. I have a bad history with them," Chris replied. "Double crossed them after I learned their motive to blow up a block downtown."

"You were the unidentified tip-off," Bogo replied, the leopard nodding.

"I am not a criminal, nor do I plan on becoming one, Chief, but I work on my own accord. You can calm down," Prowler explained, eying the buffalo. He handed him a cup of water. "I am merely an innocent caught in the crossfire."

The snow leopard tone changed at the last statement, a fact that went right over the buffalo's head.

"Oh this is a mess," Bogo said, rubbing his hoofs together. He rubbed his temples. "Either way, we have to take you in for questioning."

"And I'll go willingly as a civilian," Chris replied. He picked up the phone. "Ian. Cancel my meetings and the ceremony. I've got to go do something. No way out of it."

 **/-\**

Thelonious looked back at the snow leopard sitting in the back of the cruiser. Bogo found it odd, and slightly creepy, that the leopard was smiling as he looked out the window towards the passing landscape.

Bogo shook the thought from his head and continued driving down the highway, struggling to drive on the slick road.

"If you turn off cruise control, you'll find it much easier to drive on this."

Bogo remained skeptical of the tip from the leopard before he found it very difficult to control the vehicle and gave in. He heard a satisfied sigh from the back of the cruiser.

Thelonious sat in his office, contemplating the situation. "Clawhouser. Bring me the tax record so of Christopher Prowler,"

"Right away, Sir."

The overweight cheetah walked out of the room, leaving the pair of foxes and the buffalo alone.

"May I ask why we're here?" Nick asked.

The buffalo turned a tablet screen towards Nick and Skye. It showed a live camera view of an interrogation room, where the richest mammal in Zootopia sat at the table. "He asked for you two."

"Wait. I understand Nick, Chief Bogo, but how did he know about me?" Skye asked, bringing up a good point.

"He is definitely a peculiar mammal," Bogo replied. "I wouldn't think too much of it, Ms Frost."

"We're gonna have to convince him. He's very secretive."

"Do what you need."

 **/-\**

Nick swallowed as he entered the interrogation room. His mind was all over the place, knowing that it was going to be a strategy game to make the leopard give up any information.

Nick walked in and sat down at the chair.

"There's the fox who beat me out of a couple million bucks," Chris said as he turned to Skye. "You're not still following this guy around, are you?"

"How does Nathaniel Fangson know you?"

"The Hounds I presume. I don't know the name," Chris replied. Nick pulled out his microphone from his uniform and put a glass cup over it, muffling the sound. Skye went up and unplugged the power cord to the camera in the corner.

"Know anything now?"

"He was a foot soldier for the Hounds. Best guess is that…"

"That?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned to Skye, whose fur was sitting on edge, giving her a slightly larger look.

"That bastard is taking me down with him. I'm a huge target for the hounds. That's why I retreated to the mountains, to my home turf. But when I got brought down here-"

"He wasn't trying to get you in trouble. He was going to get you killed," Skye implied quietly.

"Shit," Nick replied, rubbing his ears back. He walked to the door and opened it. Skye followed him out.

"Tell me I'm not the only one who gets a really bad feeling from that guy," Skye said, patting down her fur.

"His motives don't matter at this point. He raises a very good point. He's in danger," Nick explained.

"So are you."

"Yes, I am," Nick replied, paying the previous statement no attention. He didn't care. He walked with Skye down the hall to the corner.

"WOAH!"

Nick let out an "umph" as the rabbit careened into him. "Slow d-"

"Olivia just got admitted to the ICU."

 **/-\**

Nick sat in the waiting room, nervously awaiting news on his sister. Suddenly, everything clicked for him.

"The hounds are behind this…"

"We already know that, Son. Why does that matter?" Nick's father asked, Nick's mother leaning against him, bawling into his shoulder.

"No. The attack yesterday. The robbery…" Nick choked on the last part. "Olivia. They're all my fault."

"Don't blame yourself, Nicholas. What happened was not your fault," the tod repeated.

"WHY NOT?! I'M THE ONE THAT LEFT THE HOUNDS BEHIND! I'M THE ONE THEY WANT TO HURT! AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN AFTER A FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT THAN TO GO AFTER MY FAMILY?!" Nick yelled, all heads in the room turning towards him. He revealed a scar on his neck, the mark of a hound, to Judy, who was sitting next to him.

"Assassination attempt, Nick?" Judy asked.

"The robbery. A hound member walks into a shop that I was in not two minutes ago and robs the place? That's one hell of a coincidence," Nick replied. His face dropped as he watched the doctor he was waiting to see walked up to the group. "Oh dear god. How is she?"

The doctor hesitated, every millisecond ripping Nick to shreds. "There was severe damage to nerves in the places where she was shot. She's expected to recover from those fine. However, one round perforated her lung. It may get infected overnight."

"Can we see her?" Nick asked. The doctor nodded, letting the mammals pass. Judy and Skye both remained behind, not wanting to crowd the room.

Nick was the first one at Olivia's bedside, his mother and father not far behind. "Hey, you guys." Olivia croaked, tired and lethargic.

"How are you feeling, baby?"

"You're strong, Olivia."

"You're going to be okay."

"You shouldn't have been out."

Nick stayed silent through the onslaught of questions from his parents to his sister, an act that he knew Olivia would appreciate. Olivia panically switched between frantic questions.

"Guys. You're freaking her out," Nick said, jestering to the heart rate monitor. "Deep breaths, Liv."

As soon as Olivia managed to calm herself, each parent asked their questions, one at a time and at a much more manageable pace.

"So why were you walking without protection of some sort of defense?" Nick's father asked.

"The streets are different these days, Dad. I was jogging without defense because I've never needed it," Olivia replied, adjusting herself to be more comfortable.

The group were finished with their questions, ushering Nick to step in. "Do you want them in here?"

"I hardly see why we-"

"He's questioning Olivia as the police, James. He's required to ask her this," Nick's mother replied, knowing full well what Nick was doing.

"They can stay."

"Very well. Did you catch any major features about your attacker? Species? Gender? Scars?" Nick hesitated around asking the last one. "Branding? Especially this one?" Nick revealed his scar.

"She had that scar. Species was canine of some sort. The voice was female and adult. My best guess was that she was maybe a bit taller than me. Not a lot. She attacked me from behind, but I did get a good look at the scar and the fur color was jet black," Olivia replied. Nick placed his paw on her shoulder to calm her down.

"You're doing great. You ready to continue?" Nick asked. The vixen nodded. "Now, you said that her voice was female. What exactly did she say?"

"She said 'Sorry. I kill you or they kill me, and I ain't dyin' today.'," Olivia explained. "She didn't have an accent or anything."

"Can you describe the weapon?"

"It was a handgun. Unsuppressed. I'm sure that you guys will get the model from the tests," Olivia replied.

"This will help a lot," Nick replied, showing the notepad and lightly tapping Olivia with it.

 **/-\**

Judy laid in bed that night and into the early morning hours with a sick feeling in her gut. She had never heard of these 'German Hounds', yet that had already made a near deadly entrance back onto the playing field almost overnight. She knew that this potentially deadly group had a bone to pick with many mammals.

For the first time in her life, Judy had her lethal weapon on her nightstand and was in an apartment other than her own or Nick's. Anyone with a connection with the hounds was to remain under watch by another officer, including those close to the person of interest.

Judy flipped her phone on, taking note that the time was 3:08 am. She pulled up the messages app and shot a quick text to Nick.

 _*You're not sleeping, are you?*_

 _*Of course not. What's keeping you up?*_

 _*All of this. The hounds, Olivia, the coffee shop, the jewelry store. It's all connected by a threat that we can't find. They seem to have unlimited funding, a huge workforce, and a good memory.*_

 _*They're what you get if you mix a terrorist group and a gang. They're aggressive, ruthless, and quick.*_

 _*If I was not informed, I'd assume you were talking about the night howlers.*_

 _*Oh my god! That's it! Judy, you're a genius! Get to the ZPD right now!*_

 **/-\**

Judy climbed into the bus, smiling at Wolford, her protection tonight. They sat towards the back, away from the nearly exclusively nocturnal occupants.

"The bus might not have been the best idea," Wolford said.

"You don't have a cruiser here. We didn't have any other option," Judy replied.

 **/-\**

Judy sat, unrested and wishing she were in bed, in the lobby of the ZPD. "Jesus. I could fall asleep in this chair."

"If you do that, you'll miss all the fun, Carrots," Nick replied, walking up to the officers.

"Wilde. Explain why I'm here instead of at home, in bed with my wife," Bogo told the fox. "You forget that not all mammals are nocturnal."

"So. The gas from the jewelry shop contained a strange binding agent. Now, we know why," Nick replied. He showed a small vial of a substance to the pair. "This is water taken from the water cooler in the back. Test it for traces of VR gas…" Nick dropped a droplet of a clear substance into the vial, the entire vial turning blue. "I've got Olivia's think tank on it, but they think this would work for anything that can't dissolve in water. Oil, VR gas, propane. You name it."

"Night Howlers," Judy said to herself, her boyfriend finally making sense. "And it's not that hard to get your paws on them either."

"The group puts the number at 5 tons of diluted night howlers to affect the whole city," Nick explained. "The number drops to three tons if they use the pure form of the extract."

"Wait. Hopps. You said it wasn't hard to get your paws on the substance," Bogo said.

"Insect repellant. Dozens of farms in bunnyburrows grow harvests of them and sell them to repellant companies. They require a license to use them and that takes a huge amount of work, so companies usually use synthetic stuff instead. But, the most effective ones use hugely dilute amounts and are the most potent ones," Judy explained. Bogo rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"How long do we have?"

"That is the million dollar question," Nick replied to the buffalo.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yeah. Sorry about being late. I was originally late and when I got it back from my editor, the site wasn't working no matter what I did. But, here's chapter 4. Enjoy.**

 **As always, thanks to my editor Evil-Copper. Feel free to check them out. Really talented individual.**

...

Christopher Prowler stood in his new office, his paw holding a glass of whiskey, in his newly built office building. By far, this was Prowler's largest office space, doubling his floor space from what it was before; he couldn't help but feel a little homesick.

He looked longing towards the mountain range behind him, knowing that he finally caught up to the rich, lavish lifestyle. He looked down at the suit he was wearing. It even had a bow tie, yet he knew that he would have known how to tie one himself if it hadn't been for Nicholas Wilde.

Awhile back, Nicholas Wilde had played him in a game of poker. Nick had played well and didn't even cheat, but he had beat him out of a large sum of his money at the time, nearly $10 million.

Now, however, that money made little difference.

"I built this empire, and now I stand above the rest," Chris said to himself, pouring himself a glass of scotch. He wasn't even technically wrong, as Gladiator Tower was officially the tallest building in Zootopia, even taller than the Grand Palm hotel and casino.

'I built this empire' reverberated in Chris's mind, it being the reason for his success. But, he was willing to take others along with him. In the corner of his office, a large painting hung, overlooking the entire office. The painting showed five snow leopards all standing, chests held high.

"Hey, little bro."

"Hello, Jackson," Chris said, turning to face his older brother. His brother was easily a foot taller than him, a huge distance for their species, yet he lacked the authoritative stance Chris had. "You here alone?"

"Beth is in the hall, but I asked her to wait out there because I needed to talk to you privately," Jackson said, looking down at his brother. "Have you done any dealings to the German Hounds?"

"Of course not! I'm a perfectly legitimate business, not some low criminal," Chris snapped.

"Legitimate, huh?"

"Oh shut up. I haven't sold to anyone that has done any harm to this city," Chris said, eying the taller leopard.

"You've ruined careers, though. Most recently Mayor Lio-"

"He made the choice that ruined his career!" Chris cried, throwing the glass wildly towards Jackson, missing on purpose. "I only laid down the groundwork for him."

"You funded his entire operation!"

Chris remained silent at his brother, furious at what Jackson had implied. Indeed, Chris had funded Lionheart's operation, in return for another oil deal.

Chris was furious with someone he had never met, a rabbit that found Lionheart out before they could come up with a cure. With Lionheart's career ruined and a lack of a mayor that was so easily… persuaded, Chris was out millions on the property and a puppet in office.

Chris calmed himself, knowing that he was getting worked up over something miniscule.

"Has our 'beloved' mayor responded?" Chris asked, scratching his chin while crunching some numbers in his head.

"Her secretary is now hanging up on us."

"Let's see how she responds to a bit of applied pressure. Raise our prices on oil by 12 cents a gallon. Natural gas… let's say 30 cents a gallon," Chris said, smiling devilishly to himself.

"You sure that's the right move? This is a risky move. You're pushing the boundary," Jackson replied. Chris narrowed his eyes, causing the much larger leopard to put his paws up.

"Need I remind you who you work for? You are MY employee-"

"Calm down, little bro. I simply asked a question, not accused you of murder."

Chris quieted himself, looking out at the brewing storm clouds, which flashed with lightning occasionally.

"Refineries and the gas company are going to be pissed."

Jackson pulled out his phone and started walking towards the door when his brother called to him.

"Oh. And send a get well basket to Olivia Wilde. I heard she's in the hospital."

…

Judy watched Nick from the living room of the safe house while he sliced and chopped vegetables. Nick was not a five star chef, but he had an ability to learn and adapt quickly.

Judy, on the other hand, was a horrendous cook, usually finding some way to ruin a dish accidentally, even with directions right in front of her. Normally, the mistakes were only minor and the worse that would happen would end with the food in the trash. However, Nick's nose had saved their apartment twice to this day, smelling smoke from an overdone birthday cake and unpleasantly crispy vegetarian lasagna.

"Alright. Food is in the oven and we have a list of '70s movies that the ZPD can't seem to update," Nick called the last part a little louder, turning towards one of the many cameras, making a face.

The lack of privacy was the one part of the apartment Judy and Nick alike disliked about the safe house. Every room had cameras, the master bedroom's cameras being the most private, where the cameras faced the window and door, the rest being private for obvious reasons.

The solitude was very nice for Nick, being antisocial as he was, while it was antagonizing for Judy. The ZPD was very lenient on outside communications for the pair, Nick and Judy alike being able to talk to their families and friends. They couldn't use their phones, yet Judy was able to get a secure video chat with her parents every night to update them on their situation. Judy was permitted to leave as long as she was under watch of another officer at all times. Nick, because of his history with the group, was required to wear body armor and be accompanied by two other officers, making it very hard for him to go outside, his daily visits to the hospital at random times the only times he left.

…

Nick lay awake that night, hearing the slow breathing of the rabbit next to him. He usually tried to get as much sleep as he could, mornings usually being extremely tough on the fox, yet he couldn't manage to keep his thoughts out of his head. He settled on an old memory that he forgot he had.

 _Nick sat under the bridge with Olivia; both huddled in each other's arms as the rain came pouring down._

" _Was this worth it, just to put me through college, Nick? I can always finish after we both get jobs."_

 _Nick looked over to his sister. "You're going through college now. I cannot let you waste this talent of yours. I have to live in someone's basement."_

" _You're getting the master's bedroom. I wouldn't be this far without you."_

 _Nick laughed with his sister, genuinely happy for the first time in months, even if he was soaking wet, homeless, and hardly able to survive._

…

"Didn't sleep well?" Judy asked, walking into the kitchen just after she had woken up. She saw the bags under Nick's bloodshot eyes. "You didn't sleep."

Nick flipped on the TV without saying a word, the TV already set on the news channel.

"Thanks, Jeffrey. Back to our people on the ground covering last night's attack."

"Thanks Diana. Around 9:00 PM last night, a canister of what we now know is night howler gas was released in this very mall. Twenty seven are dead. The names two deceased that have been released are 42 year old mother Kathryn Bogo and 17 year old daughter Teresa Bogo."

"This is just the beginning. Bogo is scrambling everybody. Well, except for me."

"So we have a day of hanging out around here, don't we?" Judy asked, Nick shaking his head.

"Note that I said 'me', not 'we'. You're back on the case this afternoon. However, I'm surprising Liv today with her favorite deserts today, so if you would like to come, you are welcome to," Nick replied.

…

Nick smiled as he walked into the hospital room, his sister showing surprise when he arrived. Judy had been curious what Nick had gotten Olivia and was in the bag.

Nick pulled out some forks and paper plates, along with a blueberry pie and blueberry ice cream.

"I thought you said you were getting her favorite dish," Judy said, Nick putting a scoop of ice cream on top of Judy's pie.

"Trust me. If you thought Nick ate a lot of blueberries, then you will be amazed by me," Olivia replied, laughing light heartedly. That was something Judy liked about Olivia. She was in a tough situation, yet still had a sense of humor. Even Nick's spark seemed to dwindle, yet Olivia's still shone brightly.

"It runs in the family. Mom adores them, both Liv and I adore them, Dad enjoys them. Wildes and blueberries have always gone together," Nick replied.

"Did you guys see the news today?" Olivia asked with a full mouth. "Sorry."

"Yeah. I haven't slept since yesterday. Been on the phone for a majority of the night," Nick replied. "Chief doesn't blame me, but I know that he knows that if I weren't on the ZPD, this wouldn't be happening."

"You wouldn't have saved the city the first time, Nick," Judy replied. Nick smiled at Judy. Oh how innocent she was, seeing the bright side of everything and lacking the vision of the dark underbelly of life.

Nick looked to Olivia with a look that, in her eyes, showed the one question she would be uncomfortable to be around when Nick asked. Olivia nodded to the door, gesturing Nick to ask her in the hall.

Nick stood and leads Judy to the hall. He waited for the doctors to clear and knelt down to Judy's level.

"Judy. Do you wholeheartedly trust me?"

"Of course," Judy replied, relieved that Nick wasn't asking anything too much.

"I'm not done," Nick replied to the rabbit as she was reaching for the doorknob. "What do you think about going separate ways? I DON'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! Well, I kind of do, but let me explain. We 'break-up'..." Nick added quotation marks with his fingers. "In public. Make sure the hounds know. You 'hook up' with a buck, and therefore you are out of danger. Olivia wasn't someone we could so easily do that with. But you and me? I couldn't bear it if you were hurt or worse because of me."

It was Judy's turn to talk, and she decided to make it very clear that she refused to give him up. "Nicholas Phirbious Wilde. Never in a million years would I ever do something so wrong. I am with you until death. Don't think I'm willing for a moment that I would give you up. We are in this together, not the strong, brave fox takes the bullet for his damsel in distress. Not the other way around, either. It misses both of us, or it hits both of us."

"God. Is it bad that I want to marry you right here, right now?" Nick asked, laying a kiss on Judy's head.

"Is it bad that I'd say yes?" Judy asked without realizing what she had said. Both mammals' eyes shot wide open. Judy's mind was a jumbled mess of cheering and whooping while the other half was wishing she could grab back those words, not in regret, but in fear of how this would happen. In the end, Judy's mind just waltzed out of her head, leaving the mess of the rabbit to stand there.

In reality, Nick had wanted to take back the words the moment he had said them. They had been in their relationship for six months. While that may have been standard on rabbit terms to get married, it was a little rushed by fox standards. His regret, however, diminished the moment the rabbit had asked her question.

"So what now?" Nick asked for lack of a better conversation maker.

"I-I don't know. I mean. I don't even know how to properly court a fox."

"Nor I a rabbit," Nick replied. He hugged the rabbit. "We'll talk about this when you get back."

Nick stood and twisted the door handle, opening it for the rabbit. Nick raised his fists in a victory pose.

"What the hell happened out there?" Olivia asked, eying Nick up and down. He tried to keep his complexion stable, yet Olivia could see through his deceptions. Yet, she still couldn't place it. "What happened?"

"Oh, you know. The usual."

"Holy shit! My brother's getting married!"

Judy watched the vixen cheer for her brother when Nick spoke.

"Not entirely. I didn't propose, so she can back out-"

"Which I won't," Judy quickly added to the fox's statement.

"And we have a lot to figure out. I'm clueless how to court Judy and she's clueless how to court me, so we'll be doing a bit of research when we get back."

…

Nick sat in the living room, realizing how much easier this would be if he had someone to talk to about this and explain everything he didn't understand from all the ridiculously vague websites.

"You've got Frost."

"Skye. It's Nick. I need a huge favor. I need to talk to your boyfriend.

…

"Okay. You're starting from scratch. No knowledge on what happens whatsoever, correct?" Olivia asked the doe, who nodded, her notepad and pen out. "First thing is first and needs to be out of the way. Foxes mate for life. If you're uncomfortable with that for some strange reason, get out now." Olivia waited for a response saying she wasn't. When Judy unsurprising said nothing, she continued. "Alright. Wedding bands are non-existent in fox culture. Now, if he gets you a ring or whatever bunnies do, then follow bunny culture. If not, there will be two options that will work for you. He will either get you a bracelet or a necklace. If he does either, don't be surprised if it isn't diamond. Foxes go all over the place when it comes time. Usually, the tod chooses a gem that will match your personality. If he goes for the gem, he will do Sapphire judging from what he's told me."

"Sapphire. Got it."

"Now we get to the fun part. The week before the wedding day, he'll do something you love every night without repeating the same thing. On top of that, we also have another tradition. Normally, the one who isn't going to be the one to cook/do laundry/other chores will be the one to do it the entire week."

"So I'm cooking, he's got chores. Got it."

"Wedding day. Fox wedding schedules are very precise. Some cultures see it that it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other on the wedding day. In fox culture, this is complete garbage. The tod and vixen are always together until about an hour before the actual ceremony, which is normal at sunset. Usually, weddings are small, direct family only. Small will not be what happens at this wedding."

"We usually stream weddings while a chosen half dozen to dozen actually go when it comes to my family," Judy replied, Olivia nodding.

"Alright. This is likely going to be the most uncomfortable part of this thing, but you should probably know all this. When you two are… ahem. Sorry that I'm not enjoying imagining my brother screwing you. Anyway. When you two are 'Pinned' for the first time, he will put a claw mark somewhere visibly on you. Knowing him, he'll try to keep it out of sight, but it will probably hurt knowing fox claws. We call it a claim scar."

…

"Well, you decided to get married, Wilde. Congratulations," Jack told the fox over video chat. "Now. What do you know?"

"I know that there are multiple ways to court rabbits depending on a lot of factors."

"Good. That's a start, yet you have a lot to learn. First off, I know from Skye that foxes do a necklace or bracelet thing instead of a ring. I am going to let you two discuss what you want to do from there. Second, I should get this out of the way. I've known Judy for a long time. She will be nervous and you're going to have to guide her through the mess. Thirdly. I will tell you to speak to her parents about marrying her. Now timing is everything, here. Not…"

Jack's voice faded away as Nick's mind filled with thoughts. Timing WAS everything.

"Wilde? Is now a bad time?"

Nick returned back to reality, two nervous faces on the computer screen. "I'll call you back." Nick ended the call and headed to the bathroom, needing to clear his head. He turned on the hot water in the shower before staring at himself in the mirror. He looked up to his face, his eyes deep in thought.

Nick stripped down to nothing and walked into the shower. He let the hot water run across his head and down his face. Why was this bothering him so badly?

Nick heard a knock on the door followed by a "Nick? Want to talk after you're done?"

"Yeah. I'll be out in a minute," Nick called back. He decided he would keep his suspicions to himself.

Nick scrubbed his fur with his shampoo quickly and turned off the water, drying himself off when he got out. He walked into the room, finding his clothes set out for him. Nick smiled to himself. "Sly bunny."

Judy laid on the couch, busy reading her book while she waited for Nick. Her ears perked up as Nick returned from the bedroom fully clothed in casual attire.

"So. Are you still willing to go through with this? I mean, it won't be accepted. And this is early for foxes to get married," Nick told Judy. In the call with Jack was one thing, but discussing it with Judy now was something totally different. "So. Liv tell you about our alternatives to wedding rings?"

"Yes. And I like the bracelet idea. Necklaces are banned, and the ring is just going to get in the way," Judy replied, now moving to the heavier topic. "If you're nervous, we can wait. I am a patient bunny and can wait. Am I onboard with this? Yes. Yes I am," Judy replied, easing Nick's nerves.

"I'm sure that I'll be ready by the time the whole thing rolls around, Carrots. I don't know how long it will take me, but I know I will be eventually. Maybe once this is all over, I'll be ready, but I honestly don't know," Nick replied, wrapping his arm around Judy and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Then we need to make it through this TOGETHER," Judy put emphasis on the last word, sighing as she laid herself onto her side. "No more of this lone wolf stuff. No more talk of breaking up. I'm ready to say my vows when this is all over, Nick, including 'till death do us part', but I want death to do us part after I grow old with you, and not a minute earlier.

The pair sat silently, in a lovers' embrace and a best friends' embrace. It made Nick happy to be with Judy, and Judy to be with Nick. She nuzzled closer to the fox, smiling.

Judy's ringtone from Gazel's latest album filled the room, making Judy pull out her phone, groaning due to her screen being filled with a picture of two bunnies and the title _Mom and Dad_ plastered across the screen.

"You got your phone back. Lucky you," Nick said, standing up. "I'll go.

"No. My parents have seen you and our relationship is getting pretty serious. I might as well tell them that we're dating," Judy replied, pushing Nick back down onto the couch.

"Hey guys," Judy said, a smile plastered across her face that Nick knew was entirely fake.

"Oh. You're with Nick," Bonnie said to the bunny. Nick watched the quiet buck with attention.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am," Judy replied, trying to calm her nerves with the fact that Nick was right here with her. "And I have some news. I- we…"

"We already know you two are dating. Sorry, Jude. I know you probably wanted to tell us, but you could gather a lot from how you talked about him. And for your information, your mother and I are hesitant, but willing to give it a try if you are."

"It took your father some warming up to. He wanted to send every buck that he could your direction, but I got behind the fact that I'm sure you two love each other and Nick would take a bullet for you as your partner, so there is no doubt you wouldn't do the same in the relationship," Bonnie added.

Nick cracked a small smile at Judy's parents, trying to show some of his emotion.

"Maybe we could come and visit sometime?" Nick suggested, eying Judy. "You could take the week off and just be my escort."

"Wait. Escort? I thought that the mammals after you were after you because you solved their case awhile back. Why is Nick in danger?"

Judy turned to Nick, realizing that he had made a huge mistake.

"Long story short, Judy had gone to visit her siblings in the city and had taken the day off. I was working with another partner and we accidentally took down the majority of their operation."

Judy mouthed a quick thank you before turning back towards the camera.

"Well, we'd be happy to have you Nicholas. As long as you don't endanger the burrow," Bonnie replied. "Well, Stu. You have an early morning. Why don't we head off to bed?"

"I'd like to talk to Nicholas before he goes. It won't take long, Bon. I'll be right behind you. Jude. Do you mind if…"

"Oh. No problem, Dad," Judy replied, handing the phone to Nick and heading to the bedroom.

"Nicholas. I am not sure how I feel about this. On one paw, my daughter is the happiest she has ever been, even after getting accepted to the academy. However, I would much rather see her with a buck. Bonnie is right that I am willing to give this a shot, know that I do not like this."

"DAD!" Judy yelled from the bedroom. Nick didn't even know how she had heard, yet she was in the frame very quickly. "I love Nick, alright?! Like it or not, I couldn't care less about your opinion. He is who I see myself growing old with. Now you're just going to have to accept my choice," Judy yelled. "Goodbye."

…

Thelonious stared at the photo on his desk, two smiling faces staring back at him. He quickly became enraged at the mammal that took their lives. Not the savage wolves, but the man who threw in the canister in the first place.

Thelonious suddenly gripped the photo harshly, the glass cracking under the pressure of his hoof. He threw the frame at the nearest wall, the glass and frame shattering. Bogo rested his head down onto his arms, sobbing as he remembered his wife and daughter. He wanted the memories gone, yet at the same time, he wished for them to be more vivid.

"Chief? I heard a- Sorry," Clawhouser stood at the door. Bogo looked up at the visitor with his bloodshot eyes and a life filled with pain. "Do you want me to clean that up?" Clawhouser gestured to the shattered frame next to the wall.

"No. I-I've got it. Thank you."

Bogo stood when the door closed and walked over to the frame. He picked up the splinters and glass, not minding the cut that one of the pieces gave him. However, he dodged around the facedown photo until it was the last thing left to take care of.

Bogo used a shaky hoof to pick up the picture, refusing to look at it as he carried it back to his desk.

Bogo flipped the paper over, looking at the smiling faces, unable to hold back the tears. He touched the photo, murmuring "I wish you guys were here."


	5. Chapter 5 - New Scenery, Old Friend

**I think the last thirty days can be summed up with an "UUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH". Sorry. The problem with a science major is that there is SOOO much homework. So, I haven't had a huge amount of time to write. Sorry. But I'm here now. That counts for something, right? Anywho. Enjoy.**

 **As always, thanks to my editor Evil-Copper. Feel free to check them out. Really talented individual. Alright I'm done now.**

/-\

Nick stared out the car window, watching the seemingly endless expanse of hills and trees, causing him to sigh.

"When was the last time you got out of the city?" Judy asked, causing Nick to chuckle to himself. He knew the answer to the question. He had never left the concrete jungle that he called home. He never had a reason to, and he never had an urge to.

"The answer to that question is quite simple, Carrots. Never."

"What?! You've never been out of the city?!"

"Nope," Nick replied, a smirk plastered across his face. He continued watching the scenery pass by. Sure he had never seen this with his own eyes, but there wasn't a lot to look at. Just green, expansive hills that seemed to go on forever. The sky was cloudless that day, making for even less for Nick to look at.

Judy's argument with her father two days previous had been floating around her head for the entire morning. She had no clue how Nick would react when he met her father. Hell, she didn't have a clue how she would react when she saw him again.

"I understand, Carrots. Some mammals hate change, and will always fight it, no matter the situation," Nick said out loud, as if reading her mind. She let a smile creep up her cheek as Nick turned the air conditioner up, causing her smile to be short lived.

"It's already freezing in here, Nick. I think you can cool it with the air conditioner."

"Unless you want me to start panting, let me turn it up. I still have my winter coat, remember?"

Judy remembered growing itchy a couple weeks ago and shedding her own winter coat. While it wasn't nearly as bad as Nick's, she still found the cases in the warmer districts very hard to do. Nick, on the other paw, couldn't go anywhere near Sahara Square for it likely would have killed him and all their patrols were in Tundratown like most canines.

Judy, having gained the knowledge from Nick, knew he would start shedding sometime in the next two weeks. If it was going to be anywhere nearly as bad as it was the previous year, she knew there would be fur everywhere.

"Just remember to clean up after yourself. I may like cuddling up with you, but you are required to be there with me. Your fur doesn't count."

Nick let out a whole hearted laugh, smiling at his bunny. "Will do, Officer."

The rest of the trip passed quickly for the pair. Judy had turned on the radio and was listening to some of today's hits while Nick was texting away on his phone. Every time she looked over at the fox, he was smiling slyly, his phone always pointed slightly away from her.

Judy turned the car down the dirt driveway, the car jostling over the bump from pavement to dirt. Judy pulled the car up to the spare parking spot.

Judy climbed out of the cruiser, followed by the fox and they walked towards the front door, Judy turned around and getting a good look at the car.

"Hmm."

Nick smiled at Judy's remark about the car. Surely, it showed his wealth, yet he found the car modest and not obnoxiously saying "LOOK AT ME! I'M A RICH BASTARD!" Luckily, Judy didn't know enough about cars to know that it was worth around 300 thousand dollars.

While Judy had been examining Nick's car, the Nick had taken in the sight of the home. It didn't look like much, but the fact that the home extended into the hill meant that the rabbits had likely dug into the hill to make room for the large family.

"AAAAA! MOM AND DAD DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT YOU COMING!"

Nick watched as a doe came around the corner and hugged Judy.

"Oh, it's good to see you. You talk to the others lately?"

"Yeah. Zack-"

"Yo! Whitney! Have you seen the car in the guest's… Judy!" The buck raced towards Judy, embracing her.

"Zack. That's enough. I gotta introduce you guys to our guest," Judy said, pushing off the buck. "Nick. These are my littermates. That one there," Judy gestured to the doe just shorter than her, with coloration that came from her father. The doe also had a much more upper body build than most rabbits. "That's Whitney. And the idiot of a buck right here is Zack. Guys, this is Nick."

"Good to put a face to the name," Zack said, holding out his paw. He was what Nick would have expected if Judy was a buck.

"So you're the tod Judy's been dating," Whitney told the fox. Nick shot Judy a look.

"What? You told Olivia."

"Actually, she implied it, Carrots," Nick replied, a look of slight annoyance on his muzzle.

"Heh."

"What's so funny?" Nick asked to the snickering doe, watching the buck fork over a twenty.

"Oh. Other animals are so stereotypical and so predictable," Whitney replied, still laughing while Nick had a puzzled look on his face. "I dated an Arabian Wolf awhile back. Gave me the exact same nickname."

"Has everyone in your family dated a predator?"

"Whit and I are the only two," Judy reassured the fox. The group stood quietly, letting the cold wind (to the rabbits) wash over them. "I wish this visit was just a vacation. I could hang out with you guys."

"I'll be taking my money back," Zack said with a sly smile. "Thanks for breaking me even."

"So. You're really here for work?" Whitney asked. Judy reached past her sweater and reached for her lethal weapon in her shoulder holster, pointing it to the ground and showing the pair. The pair looked to Nick, who reached for the small of his back and pulled out a larger, yet same model pistol, revealing it to the group. Both returned their weapons to their respected spots and adjusted their clothing.

"Sorry guys."

"You all going to come inside or stand out in the cold?" Bonnie asked from the open door. Nick hadn't noticed the doe appear, but filed in quickly behind the littermates. Nick nodded to the doe, nearly passing by her before she held out her paw, her paw hitting the ceramic plate and stopping Nick in his tracks. "May I talk to you?"

"Of course Mrs. Hopps," Nick replied, looking to the doe. "I'm the one intruding."

"You're always welcome here, Nicholas. And it's Bonnie," Bonnie replied, leading Nick down a different hallway than the eldest Hopps litter. "My husband may make you feel unwelcome, but he's reluctant to change. I'm sure that he will come around, eventually."

The pair sat down at one of three long tables, obviously the dining hall. Nick admired the vastness of the hall, the ceiling being supported by two very large wood pillars and filled with three long tables.

"I do not know how the other children will react. If any of them harass you, you come to me. Any of them threaten you, you come to me. If you feel yourself in danger, you have my permission to pull your weapon. Please just fire a warning shot."

"Bonnie. I have no intention of killing anyone or even pulling my weapon," Nick reassured the bunny. The doe nodded and reached for her leg, pulling a very well hidden pistol out.

"The chief wanted two mammals armed besides you. I do not plan on using this. The chief also told us the true story of why you two are in protective custody."

"How did your husband take that?" Nick asked. The doe shrugged.

"To his knowledge, you're being hunted for taking down a large majority of a gang's operation."

"Thank you," Nick replied.

"And Nicholas. What exactly do you eat?"

Nick chuckled at the question, a grin growing across his muzzle. "My mother raised me to not be a picky eater. I am willing to eat whatever you give me. As for my meat intake, I brought plenty of alternatives and dried protein sources. I will be fine."

"Well. That takes a weight off my shoulders. But, the last issue happens to not be here right now. What are your plans about courting my daughter?"

"Did Judy-"

"No. God no. Bunnies are just observant, Nicholas."

"We've discussed it, and we've agreed, but we don't even know where to start," Nick explained. "Your husband's and your blessing would be nice."

"You have mine. Judy's father's blessing is not going to be easy to get," the doe replied, Nick nodding as she spoke.

"Your blessing is much appreciated. And I'd like to surprise Judy, so I'd like to keep this between us," Nick told the doe. She smiled and nodded.

/-\

The group sat at the table for dinner, eating vegetable soup and bread. Nick had slipped some dried crickets into his meal, unnoticed by all but Bonnie, who just laughed and smiled.

Nick knew that Bonnie had filled everyone in after they had arrived, but this was probably the first time most of the family had seen Nick.

Nick's ears flicked through conversation after conversation, mostly about "Judy's Boyfriend" or "the fox". He settled for the conversation around him.

"You know, I never should have doubted you, Judy. You've definitely shown us that dedication is everything," Whitney told Judy.

"I don't know. I was always a go getter," Judy said to the rabbits. She took a quick glance at Nick, who smiled and went back to her conversation.

"Sorry I'm late," Stu said, sitting down next to the litter and his wife. His eyes quickly shifted around the group, finally resting on Nick. "Nick."

"Mr. Hopps."

The group grew quiet when the buck sat down at his reserved spot next to his wife. "So, Jude. Do you have any stories from work?"

Judy huffed, trying to think of a story she was willing to share with her family. They were blissfully ignorant about many things that happened on the force. "I mean… we haven't had too many cases. A lot of our cases are solved within the day we get them. There was this long case that Nick and I had to track down a cheetah through the sewers. That was a mess, pun not intended."

"Why was he down there?" Bonnie asked. Nick chuckled at this part, smiling to himself.

"He resisted arrest and Nick got in front of him to trip him, but the cheetah went farther than he thought, right down a manhole."

"That was a hard one to explain, coming back to the ZPD covered in…" Nick started.

"Let's not get into detail. However, we got the next day off," Judy replied. "I love it, but it's not the most action packed thing always. Patrols are pretty common. However, Nick and I have started doing a bit of undercover. No stories yet, but I'm sure that'll change."

/-\

Nick smiled at Judy's littermates, a glass of wine in one paw and his other arm around Judy.

"So. No talents? Just an ordinary fox?" Whitney asked, sipping her glass of wine.

"I don't know. I just like a simple boyfriend," Judy replied, smiling to her fox.

"Oh, Carrots. I can always surprise you," Nick replied.

"Prove it," Judy said, snuggling up to her fox. He set his glass down and stood. Judy was ready to follow, but he waved her down.

"I'm only heading to our room. It's just down the hall," Nick replied, walking down the hall.

"I have no clue," Judy replied to the looks her littermates were giving her. She peeked over her shoulder when Nick returned, a guitar in his paws.

"You can play?" Zack asked.

"YOU CAN PLAY?!" Judy asked with more enthusiasm than her brother. "I've lived in your apartment for 6 months, and I've never heard you play."

"Well. I haven't played in quite a while, so that would explain it," Nick replied. "Requests?"

"Behind Blue Eyes."

Nick smiled and tuned his guitar, smiling as Judy's mouth dropped as he started to play.

"No one knows what it's like… To be the bad man… to be sad man."

Judy watched, stunned, as Nick played a song that was over 20 years older than him from memory.

When Nick finished, all three rabbits clapped as he stood and took a bow.

"That's really cool, Nick. Honestly," Whitney told the fox.

And that was how the four spent their evening, shooting off names of songs for Nick to play. Others had stopped by, requested a song or two, and left. But the litter remained.

/-\

It was midnight by the time the Nick had put down the guitar and the four had gone off to their respected rooms.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Judy asked the fox as he carefully put the guitar back in its case, not wanting to damage it.

"I did. It was good to play it," Nick said, the genuine smile he had when he first started playing still plastered across his muzzle. He stripped down to his boxers, ready for a good night's sleep. "Are we doing anything tomorrow?"

"Don't know. It's all up to fate, I guess," Judy replied, having changed into her pajamas and crawling into bed, snuggling close to the fox. She let his scent overwhelm her in comfort and safety, allowing her drift off quickly to sleep.

Nick remained awake awhile longer, massaging the rabbit's ears and feeling her chest rise and fall against his. It was… oddly comforting to Nick that a little bunny, his natural prey, trusted him so much to put herself into a position where the fox could do whatever he wanted and the rabbit was defenseless.

She reminded him of a kit, actually. Small, defenseless, and stubborn as all hell. Nick never hated kits, but never saw himself a father. God, the idea mortified him. Raising, teaching, and protecting them from the outside world some, but not too much. He could never do that.

Nick, his eyes growing heavy and sight dim, let sleep take its course.

/-\

The next morning was hectic. Judy had awoken from an unpleasant sound, yet it didn't last long. She rolled over in Nick's arms and thought nothing of it. She returned to sleep against the fox's warm body.

The sound happened again, this time Judy recognizing it as a scream. She figured that it was some of her siblings playing.

"NICK! JUDY! WE NEED YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW!" a voice yelled, banging on their door, this time awakening the fox and alerting the bunny that there was indeed something wrong.

"What's going on?" Judy asked after walking to the door and opening it.

"Dad ate a Nighthowler."

Nick was on his feet and at the door by the time Judy had reacted. Nick and Judy both sprinted down the hall to the dining room, where a savage Stu had pinned a group of children in the corner, Bonnie in front, guarding her children.

"Stuart. You know me."

"He doesn't," Judy replied, sprinting up to them, stopping 10 feet away. "My Dad has always been stronger than me."

"I'm on it. Get them safe and then get the antidote. I packed a ZPD first response case."

"Got it," Judy replied.

"Hey, Mr. Hopps. It's-" Nick started, the rabbit taking off out the open back door the moment that he saw the fox. "CARROTS! RUNNER!"

Judy turned towards the door and immediately ran for it, Nick right on her tail. They skidded out onto the dirt while Judy looked right and Nick looked left, a tactic they came up with on the force. "SHOOT!" Judy exclaimed when their search came up negative.

"Carrots. Closest thing that'll have his scent," Nick said. Judy ran back inside, returning quickly with a coat. Nick started his scent tracking, try to go as quickly as he could.

"Come on, come on," Judy said, nervously looking around. "Can't you do this any faster?"

"I'm not a wolf, Carrots. It's- got it."

Nick turned left and ran around the house, following the scent. "Look for somewhere where he would feel safe. He took one look at me and was gone. He's going to be panicked."

"We've got the tool shed or the vehicle storage. That building," Judy said, pointing ahead of them. "And that one."

"Second one. That's where his scent was going," Nick replied, taking breathes through his nose. The pair ran up to vehicle storage and ran through the open doors. It was still early enough that not a lot of light was entering the warehouse, so Judy was down to her hearing.

Judy heard the heavy breathing of the rabbit and a scratching sound. She got Nick's attention and gestured to the back.

The pair walked back there, spotting the buck trying to dig into the ground. The rabbit, realizing he was cornered, went on the offensive. The buck made a quick dash that forced Nick to dodge the attack. Nick hated that he had restrain the buck while he went straight for the jugular.

Nick raised his arms as a slash came his way, the rabbit's small yet sharp claws slashing Nick's arms. Nick let out a mix between a bark and a yelp, causing a look from Judy.

The buck made another slash move, but Nick was ready this time, Nick grabbing the wrist, twisting the arm, and pushing the buck to the ground. For a good measure, Nick put his foot onto the buck's back.

/-\

Nick thought the scene was not one of his best, arm of a bunny pinned, his foot on his back, blood dripping from his arms…

Nick remembered that he was only in his boxers as a cold gust of wind blew through the open door. Luckily, Judy returned quickly with a syringe labeled 'Emergency Savage Antidote'.

"Carrots. You do know we're still in our pajamas, right."

"Yeah. Noticed that when we ran out of the dining hall," Judy replied, putting the needle into her father's arm. "How's the weather."

"My fur is blocking most of it, but a little gets through."

"Are you comfortable walking… damn. That doesn't look good," Judy said, staring at Nick's arm as it dripped blood.

"Are you guys okay?" Bonnie asked as she ran up to them. "And Stu?"

"We need to get both of them to the hospital," Judy replied.

/-\

Judy was grateful for Nick's actions, probably saving her mom's life and countless of her siblings from getting hurt. She watched the buck slash at Nick, and she knew how sharp bunny claws could be.

Judy couldn't help but feel awful when she watched Nick get both arms wrapped in bandages, but it did help that the doctors were praising him for his 'bravery'.

"Savage bunnies are not easily taken down, Officer Wilde."

"It's all about pressure points," Nick replied. He winced about halfway up on his other arm, causing the doctor to halt.

"Sorry," The doctor replied, going gentler at the last part. Nick turned to Judy.

"It isn't that bad, Carrots. Honestly," Nick reassured. Judy eased when Nick gave her his signature smirk.

"Change them twice a day and let them breathe about an hour between changes. Clean it regularly. They don't need stitches, but they are deep enough to scar. Not much that we can do about that."

"Thanks, Doc," Nick said to the rabbit as he left.

The pair exited the room, smiling. They opened the door to the room next to them to find a large room with Bonnie and a few other bunnies at her side.

"Did-... Did I hurt anyone?"

"Only one," Nick replied, showing the bandages around his arm.

"I am so sorry, Nicholas. Thank you. Thank you for saving my wife and my children. Thank you for managing to take me down with nothing more than a sore arm. Thank you for taking my unkindness and hostility and going along anyway," Stu replied. He smiled warmly at the fox.

Nick watched as the family started talking when a fact dawned on him. He stepped out of the room, knowing Judy would follow.

"Nick? What's up?"

"What age did your parents make it clear to not go near night howlers?"

"As soon as we started walking. Why does… oh god."

"Yeah," Nick replied, sitting down on the bench outside. "Who gave him the bouquet?"

"Florence. She's only twelve."

"That's not all. What time was your sister banging on our door?"

"8:10," Judy replied.

"Ten minutes after we normally get up on a weekend," Nick added. Judy rubbed her ears. "Calm down, Carrots. Your sister isn't trying to kill us, but you see the sore thumb over my shoulder. Desert wolf? I checked with the hospital wing and made sure we were put in rooms far from others and I made sure that they would tell us if anybody got put into this hall. Now, there're too many doctors around, which is why he isn't killing us. I'm going to head to the bathroom. He follows me, tail him."

As Nick suspected, the wolf had followed him at a distance. Judy faked a stretch and stood up, catching the wolf's attention for a brief second before he returned to following Nick.

Judy tailed the wolf. She watched him enter the bathroom. Judy walked in after him at a distance and speed up when she heard a small bang of flesh against wall.

"You're a sore thumb, bud. No desert wolf would live out here. Now why don't you drop the gun and maybe we can talk."

The suppressed pistol hit the ground, which Judy quickly grabbed and checked the serial number, if it would have had one.

"No serial number. Untraceable."

Judy patted the wolf down, finding only his wallet. Judy pulled out the driver's license and credit cards, all reflecting the same name.

"Gerald Cutter."

"Damn, Gerald. Long time no see," Nick replied, smiling at the wolf. "I see you're still a loyal little slave to the hounds."

"Man, FUCK YOU!" the wolf snarled, forcing Nick to back away, the gun raised. "Your traitor ass got a lot of guys punished."

"It wasn't my fault that they told me to kill someone. My boundaries are low, but not that fucking low," Nick replied in a growl.

"Man, it was a test. They were fucking blanks, bro," the wolf replied, slouching down against the bathroom stall. "Man, you were my goddamn brother. We pulled some good gigs."

"Those days of mine have been over for years," Nick replied. Judy recognized his shield go up, protecting him from all emotion. "And you went after me and my girlfriend."

"Yeah… yeah, I did. You know… I guess you're right. I am just a fucking slave, and now I have to pay for them. No matter what, I'm fucked. They'll find a way to get me in prison."

"Not if you give us everything you know. We may be able to lower the sentence and get you protection inside, or even drop the sentence if you just give us everything you know," Judy said. Seeing the wolf proved to pose little danger to them, she stood closer to the wolf.

"Alright. Are we doing it here, or-"

"BBPD and get Chief on video call?" Nick suggested.

/-\

"You can't take a break, can you guys?" Bogo asked, eating his breakfast. "What do you guys have for me?"

"I thought this was just a pleasure call. No strings attached. I- OW! OW! OW! OW! I get it!"

Judy smiled as she hopped off her chair after pulling Nick's ear, remembering what Olivia had done.

"Thank you, Hopps. What is the meaning of this call, Hopps?" Thelonious asked.

"We were attacked. Well, kind of. A hound smuggled a night-howler into a flower bouquet my sister gave to my father. In bunny culture, we normally eat flower bouquets, so… yeah. My dad got a good slash on Nick," Judy said, gesturing to the wraps around Nick's arms. "No comments, Nick. Anyway, the perp was staking out our hospital rooms wanting to finish the job, but Nick saw him, and we took him down."

"Alright. You two would be swimming in paperwork, but I'm sure I can get someone to help you guys out. Give him a year off for every arrest. Interrogate him, and then get him down to ZPD headquarters. But he needs to talk. The hounds gave us 48 hours before the next attack."

"Chief. One last thing. How's my sister doing?" Nick asked, a sense of worry in his voice.

"I'll read you the last two reports. *Ahem*. _Wilde's treatment seems to be progressing quicker than we anticipated. Her healing times are 75% of an average red fox vixen. She walked assisted today and has started physical therapy. Her total unassisted walk length is 32 feet. She asks for a stack of paper, writing out math equations she says for work and has them delivered to a think tank._ That was the day before yesterday. _Wilde has been progressing incredibly quickly at rates that are hard to understand. Yesterday, she could walk 32 feet with stops. Today, that number jumped to 60-70 without stops. She is able to walk around the hospital twice with stops, a distance of nearly half a mile. Her pace is slow, but that is to be expected. Her progression is baffling out therapists, but we will continue at her pace._ "

"She's pushing her limits. It's what she does. I'd bet she'll try running in not too much time," Nick replied. "Thank you."

The screen flipped off and Nick headed towards the interrogation rooms, where he found Judy patiently waiting outside the one with Gerald inside.

"How's Olivia?"

"She's great. Baffling physical therapists and doctors, walking half a mile. Those sort of things," Nick replied.

"That's good for her," Judy replied, smiling. "I wish we could say we were making those leaps and bounds within this case."

"We may have the means to. He seemed sincere and ready to help," Nick replied.

The pair opened the door, facing the desert wolf.

"For every arrest you give us, you get a year off your prison sentence. You're facing up to 20, so you better start talking," Judy said.

"May I ask one question first?"

"Yes," Nick replied.

"How many were hurt?"

"Just me," Nick replied.

"Thank god. Thank you. Do you have a pen and paper?"

Nick and Judy watched as the wolf jotted down names, all of whom Nick realized were being categorized. He gave up dozens of names, all going to be arrests back in the city.

/-\

"Dad? You're sure you can walk?" Judy asked. As if proving her point, he tripped and started to fall forward before Nick got ahold of the neck of his shirt.

"Thanks, Nicholas. I'm sure I'll be okay, Jude. I always have you and your mother to worry about me," Stu replied as he started walking at a slower pace than originally.

"Those sedatives will hit you pretty hard, Mr. Hopps," Nick told the buck, taking slow steps behind him.

"Again, its Stu, Nicholas. Have you been affected by them?"

"I actually can't, physically. I'm immune to nervous system modifiers," Nick replied. "I've just seen a lot of mammals affected. We thought it would stop after Bellwether, but the stuff stayed on the black market for a while, and it's going to start up again."

"If Gerald comes through, then we might just be in the clear," Judy replied. "They've already arrested four mammals."

"Stuart?!"

"Yes, Hun?" Stu asked, turning around and facing his wife.

"It says here that the bill has been paid for," Bonnie said, walking up to the group and showing him the bill from the hospital.

"The hell?" Stu asked, looking it over. Judy grew a sneaking suspicion and looked over to Nick, who was looking at the couple before spotting the doe in the corner of his eye and giving her a sly smile, confirming her theory.

 _*Ahem*_ Judy cleared her throat, catching the attention of the couple. She nodded towards Nick.

"Snitch," Nick replied angrily before turning to face the couple. "Call it a token of goodwill. And no refunds. They've already taken the money from my account."

"Nicholas. I- I don't even know what to say…" Bonnie replied. "Thank you."

"Honestly, son. This is the most anybody has ever given us," Stu told the fox.

/-\

"Why'd you do it?" Judy asked the tod, lying across his outstretched legs on the oversized bed.

"Because I know that farmers are not the best off financially. That and I'm trying to make a good impression, Carrots," Nick replied. He shot the rabbit a smile, who returned it.

"Thank you, Nick. My parents can't afford that, and you really helped," Judy replied.

"Carrots. It's not a big deal," Nick replied.

"Do I want to know how much money you have?"

"Do that, and I'll never know if you're just marrying me for the money," Nick replied, smiling.

"I thought I made it clear I wasn't," Judy replied, moving herself so that she was on Nick's lap. Nick began to slowly massage the rabbit's ears.

"You have, Carrots. There was never a doubt in my mind," Nick replied.

"Hey, Judy. Did- Oh. Sorry. Didn't know you were busy," Zack said, peeking his head through the door.

"No. No. It's fine," Judy replied, standing up. Nick made a motion to stand as well. "What's up?"

"Well. Moms taking care of Dad and some of the kids are getting antsy about dinner. Can you come down to get some fast food with me? I don't think I can get meals for 100," Zack replied.

"That's going to be expensive," Judy replied. She turned to Nick. "Most of the Hopps aren't good cooks, but…"

"Yes, I'll cook," Nick replied, rolling his eyes. "I'll need some laborers though."

"You have me," Judy replied.

"Carrots, no offence, but I want you as far from the kitchen as possible," Nick replied, causing Zack to laugh. "Know of anybody?"

/-\

Nick stood in the kitchen, manning his station while half a dozen other rabbits helped.

"So, Nick. What do you do at the ZPD?" a 17 year old named Georgia asked. "Judy's always so vague whenever she describes it."

"Well, it's all over the place, really. Everybody pulls their part, making the engine as oiled as possible to keep the city safe, and we all have strengths. Some of us are good at solving cases, some are good with a gun, and some are good at tracking the perps down. We all work together and work every part," Nick replied, sautéing the vegetables. He pulled out a carrot to test the seasoning. "Noah. Will you pass me the garlic powder?"

Noah, almost an entire mirror of a younger Stu tossed Nick the garlic powder, who caught it and seasoned the vegetables before adding a little more olive oil.

"Besides now, what's the most danger you two have ever been in?"

"Well, we haven't been in too much, really. Only on the big cases do I ever fear for our lives. There was a robbery in a bank, and they had barricaded themselves into the vault. That one scared me the most, but even then, you still keep your cool. I have this ability to stop emotions entirely. Judy calls it my shield and even to this day I have a hard time lowering it. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't. But, in certain situations, it's nice to have it," Nick replied, quieting the group. "Alright. Food's done.

/-\

"Some would call what you did blackmail, Prowler," Bogo said, walking into the high rise office.

"And some would call what you're doing trespassing, unless you have a warrant," Chris replied, staring up at the water buffalo. "But I never blackmailed anyone."

"Our new mayor receives a call saying that you want higher taxes on foreign oil, or you will, and I quote "Make you regret it". Not 12 hours after she stops answering your spam calls, you start selling oil at higher prices as well as natural gas," Thelonious replied, folding his arms.

"And the fact that you aren't arresting me means that you want something," Chris replied, leaning back in his chair. "So. What is it that you need my assistance with?"

"We need you to revamp ties with the hounds. Start selling them oil. It'll all be tracked of course. We need to know their plans," Thelonious replied.

"Well, you could have just asked me. I would have agreed. However, know one thing. I'm doing this on my terms," Chris replied. Thelonious nodded.

"Alright. I'm late for a meeting, and I will talk to you about the specifications tomorrow," Thelonious replied, looking at his watch.


	6. Chapter 6 - Lies

Oh, **dear. I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot. I really don't have anything else to say, just that I'm thankful you gave a new, sparatic author your time of day and that you've bothered to come this far.**

 **As always, thanks to my editor. Great author, talented individual, and god send. I write the plot, they make it flow. Anyways, check them out.** **Evil-Copper.**

Nick ever so carefully removed the bandages around his arm, wincing ever so slightly when he pulled the adhesive from his fur. He looked down at the wounds in the mirror, caked with dried blood and god knew what else, and turned on the water in the sink.

Nick very carefully washed the wound, careful to not do anything that would hurt himself. He rubbed the blood out of his fur, a task that took several minutes, and turned off the water before patting his arms dry.

He stepped out of the bathroom and pulled an awkward spin move to dodge one of the Hopps kits. Nick had learned quick reactions were the key to living in the Hopps household.

He walked out of the room, smiling. His wound may have sucked, but he was still in a good mood, and he was going to make the most of his morning. He walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where Stu was taking a fourth pot of coffee off the coffee maker, setting it out next to the other three for the kits that drank it. Nick loved the aroma coming from that corner and wished he would never have to leave.

"The one on the left is a blonde roast, the other three are medium," Stu said to Nick, who grabbed the much larger mug and a smaller one.

"Medium the darkest you got?" Nick asked, Stu smiling. He pulled out another pot and poured Nick a tall glass.

"First time I had to share this," Stu replied. "Not surprising though. Should have figured you'd need the caffeine, being nocturnal."

"Please. There's a million ways to get caffeine. I enjoy it," Nick replied, drinking the coffee black.

"You know, I expected that I'd find a million ways to hate you before you came down, but I just can't find any reason to. I mean it's not normal, but when it comes to Jude-" Stu started

"Nothing is," Nick finished the buck's sentence. Nick poured a medium roast into a mug before adding a splash of creamer and two sugars with one hand.

"So… our discussion yesterday…" Stu started, lacking the confidence to continue.

"Prove my point?" Nick asked, both chuckling into their mugs.

"I think you did more than that," Stu replied.

"Bonnie add anything last night?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Answered my questions. You know when?"

"No. Hopefully soon. I'm going to try and figure it out. I REALLY don't want to wing it," Nick replied.

"I could smell the coffee from the room," Judy said, nearly skipping into the dining hall. "Raise 'em." Nick raised his arms, Judy examining the wound. "It's healing okay."

"How do you know?"

"Because I passed first aid training," Judy shot back at the fox. Nick passed her the coffee he had made her and hugged her side to his.

"You're in a chipper mood today," Nick said to the doe, who then smiled and shrugged while she continued sipping on her coffee. It wasn't until a minute had passed when she finally answered.

"We're going around town today, so grab your armor," Judy said, Nick groaning at the sound that he would have to gear up. "Oh, be quiet. It's not awful. You'll enjoy it."

/-\

"Never thought I'd see Judy Hopps walk through those doors again," a vixen said at the bar, looking at the doe. Her name tag read _'Betty'_. "You here alone, sweets?"

"No, I'm here with a friend," Judy replied, smiling. "Thought I'd show him the sunrise from one of your window booths."

"I'll hook you up, darlin'. So how are you two?" Betty asked.

"Who?"

"You and Jack, sweet-pie. Y'all were close in high school, so I figured you'd two get together at some point," Betty explained. "Am I wrong?"

"Couldn't be farther from the truth," Judy said, sitting down at the booth while Betty poured two mugs of coffee.

Both looked over to the door as the bell rung and they watched as Nick strolled in. Judy was not a fan of the way Nick's body plate made him look, it making him look… bigger. Not fat, but it just added to his chest, making it look like there was more fox than there actually was.

"You must be Nicholas Wilde."

Judy looked to Nick, who looked back with a look of confusion on his face. "What, Carrots? You're not the only well-known officer. I'm more local to foxes, but most foxes know my name."

Nick sat down in the booth across from Judy, whose face was filled with an odd look. "Fox got your tongue?"

Judy gave a _*humph*_ as an answer before her face returned to the smile it was before. "Betty. It's his first time here, so he'll need some time before he's ready."

The vixen nodded and headed off, leaving the pair alone. "Carrots. Can I ask you a question?"

"I don't see why not," Judy replied, sipping her water.

"What would you do if you never met me?"

Judy lowered the cup, staring off into space. "I don't know. I'd probably be back here, helping my parents on the farm, my dream shattered by some asshole who wanted to ruin my life for reasons unknown to me to this day. You?"

"If I'm honest with myself, I'd be dead, with the hounds on my tail worse than Cenchrus Echinatus," Nick replied, getting a smile from his girlfriend. It was a little thing that Nick and Judy had never agreed on, but did anyway. They both learned a bit about where their partner's knowledge was. For Nick, he learned a bit about agriculture while Judy had decided to learn a bit about sports and make a few "friends" as she put it. In reality, she now had her own list of favors she could call in.

"Alright. Decide what you want," Judy told the fox.

"Easy."

/-\

"I don't like this," Thelonious said, staring at the screen, showing the camera feed from Prowler's jacket. "Prowler? You there?"

"I got you loud and clear, Chief. Let's make this quick."

"Alright. Get in, make the deal and get what information you can on them, and get the hell out," Thelonious told the leopard. "I already hate your plan, Prowler. You're putting a lot on this, and we're clueless whether you're acting or-"

"Gotta go," Prowler murmured.

Thelonious took a deep breath before looking to the other two officers in the room, Clawhouser and Fangmire. "Do either of you trust him?"

"He's a character, Chief. I know you brought me here for character analysis, but this is the first time I can't get a read on someone," Fangmire explained.

"Second," Thelonious corrected. "You spent five hours in a room with Wilde and failed to come up with anything."

"That wasn't entirely my fault. He's spent years building walls, and from what I can tell, Prowler has too. But relax. I couldn't read that fox and he turned out fine. I'm sure Prowler will too."

"Unless he balances out your wins and losses," Thelonious countered.

/-\

Breakfast was one of those meals that neither ever really got to enjoy a sit down meal, so this was a nice for Nick and Judy to enjoy a sit down together.

"Ooh. Pie," Nick said as they walked down the sidewalk in the 'town'. Judy didn't understand what Nick meant until they walked another thirty yards down the road, when Judy got a waft of blueberry pie, bringing a smile to her face.

"Come on. This guy makes the best pies in town," Judy told the fox as they walked down the block and around the corner, walking into a small bakery. "Gideon?"

"No way…" Nick murmured, Judy barely catching it.

"Hey, Jude. I didn't know ya were back in… town," Gideon slowed as he saw who she was accompanied by. "My, my."

"Gideon, this is…"

"Nick. This is… well, a surprise. Never thought you'd have the audacity come on down to Bunny Burrow. What brings you here?" Gideon asked.

"My girlfriend suggested it," Nick suggested, smiling as he pulled Judy close. "So how do you know my cousin, Carrots?"

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers," Judy said, remembering that day of the play. "You two are related?! Ugh. He doesn't even know."

"Ah shucks. He doesn't know?" Gideon asked, the doe shaking her head. He took a deep breath and addressed the very confused fox in front of him. "Nick. You remember that year my parents sent me out to the city to straighten myself out?"

"Yeah. You had been fighting-..." Nick started before looking to Judy, who ruffled the fur on her cheek to reveal three faded scars.

"Don't get mad, Nick. It's in the past, and it honestly determined me more than anything else," Judy explained.

Nick walked out of the store before the rabbit could say anything else, leaving the two alone. "I've never seen him like that."

"Yeah. He's lowered his shield for emotions with me," Judy replied, folding her arms as she leaned against the counter. "He's still working out his emotions. It's been years since he's felt anything strong like this."

"Not since his dad left."

"He's back, you know. Showed up out of the blue. Nick wasn't a happy fox."

"I'd think cousin Liv would have been the one to react worse," Gideon replied. "That's Nick's-"

"I've met her," Judy interrupted. "She… I'll let Nick tell you. I'm not really up to date with the situation. Hell, back in the city is a mess right now."

"That's why you two are up here. Nick's in danger because of his past," Gideon replied, the doe nodding. "So how have you been? Well, besides dating my cousin."

"I've been good. Work is… not what I expected. I mean all this? Never thought I'd be out here for work," Judy explained to the fox. "How have you been?"

"The bakery's been doin' great. Thought about opening a shop up in the city, but I decided against it. I've lived all but a year of my life in the burrows, and I don't think that I'd make it in the city. I mean, the city was everything you wanted, Jude. You never liked the farm. But me? I'd get lost, both ways. The big city is so complex, so many mammals. And I wouldn't know what to do, Jude."

/-\

"YOU'RE A LIAR!" Bogo roared, slamming his hoof into the aluminum interrogation table so hard, he dented it. The snow leopard remained silent and unfazed. "WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN, PROWLER?!"

"I did as you asked," Chris replied in a normal tone to the bright red water buffalo. The buffalo kicked the chair across from Chris, it flying across the room and slamming into the opposing wall.

"YOU DELIBERATELY SOLD US OUT!"

"In order to prove myself. I've thought I've made this very clear. The meeting was going south, and I saved it," Prowler replied.

"YET WE HAVE NO WAY OF PROVING YOU DID AS WE ASKED!"

Prowler reached into his pocket, pulling out a paw held recorder. Bogo returned to a fainter shade of red.

After listening to the recording, Bogo had returned the chair to its original spot and was now sitting in it.

"Words are more powerful than money or objects," Chris said. Bogo simply nodded, tossing around thoughts in his head and deciding his next plan of action.

"Clawhouser. Get in here," Bogo said simply. A few moments later, the overweight cheetah made his way into the room. "Take Mr. Prowler wherever he wishes to go."

"Yes sir."

The cheetah showed the leopard out of the room, leaving Bogo alone with his thoughts. Nothing made sense, and that was what he dreaded more than anything else. He always had a solution for something, or didn't stop until he did.

Bogo pulled out his phone, scrolling through contacts.

"This is Judy. Please leave a message."

"Hopps. Call me when you get this."

/-\

Judy looked at the contact name on her ringing phone, debating whether to answer or not.

"You need to take that?"

"Huh? No," Judy replied, putting the phone into her pocket. "If it's an emergency, he'll call again. Or call Nick." Both looked over as the bell on the store door jingled as Nick walked back in. "You okay, slick?"

"Yeah. The whole thing has my head spinning, but if you've given it up, I'll give it up," Nick replied. "Carrots. Do you have a moment? I'm sorry, Gid, but this is about the case."

"No, no. Don't be. I've got stuff I need to do. Y'all call me when you're done," the fox said, walking into the back.

"I can't get this nagging feeling off my back as if we're on top of the problem and don't notice it," Nick told the rabbit.

"Oh my god. That's what that is," Judy exclaimed. "What is it though?"

"I was discussing with Jack about the whole courting thing, but he said something that caught my attention. "Timing is everything."" Nick told the doe, his face expressionless. "Who came around right after the first attack, almost sealing themselves as innocent in our book?"

"You can't be serious, Nick," the doe replied, looking into his eyes. "You really think your dad is the leader of the hounds? Wouldn't it be hard to communicate while under constant surveillance?"

"Not if they didn't know what they were looking for. Now, I have nothing to go off of except for one fact. My parents were torn apart by the hounds. My mom got everything," Nick told the doe. "I can't prove it yet, but… I'm pretty sure. And what safer place to be from the cops than in their custody."

"How are we going to prove it though? And who do we tell?" Judy asked.

"Nobody yet. This is only a theory and I need to test it," Nick replied. "Gid. You can come on back!"

The fox came around the corner, holding a tray of steaming hot pie. Judy laughed when Nick licked his chops, a sign that not all aspects of a mammal's ancestry were gone. "You have to let them cool, Slick."

"You know, Nick. You picked a smart one," Gideon replied, smiling. "You could learn a few things from her. These need to be cooled for a few hours. However, I have two pies I made a batch late last night for my morning deliveries. I didn't sell two rejects. If you want them, they're yours."

"We'll get them. We're paying, though," Judy replied, pulling out her wallet.

"Nope. I don't sell rejects," Gideon called from the back. "Besides. I'm baking for old friends. I haven't seen you in 6 months and I haven't seen Nick in… 15 years."

"Fine," Judy huffed in defeat, knowing she had lost. Gideon handed them both forks and a pie each. Judy quickly saw why they were rejects. They weren't vented well enough and had split in several places. They weren't bad, just deformed. By the time Judy sat down, Nick had already started eating. Judy just laughed and began eating as well. Gideon pulled up a chair and talked with the pair.

"So… how'd you two become friends? I know about how you started hating each other, but how'd you get to not hate each other?" Nick asked.

"Well, Jude and I hated each other for a while and then her parents and I started doing business right around the time of the press conference. Judy came back and I'm not sure how I helped, but I did and we just kept in touch," Gideon replied, smiling.

"He gave me a few leads while you were in the academy. Made me look at things differently," Judy replied. "I may not have liked the country, but it has taught me a few things. Or, better phrased, it's taught Gideon a few things, which he passed onto me."

"Gee. I only gave you the tools. You solved the case," Gideon replied.

/-\

The pair sat in the office, pouring over old records while enjoying two blueberry pies. The pair looked over James Wilde's recent history, but nothing showed up. All of Nick's sources that had the ability to get a fake ID never dealt with his father. Judy's 'friends' in Tundratown were trying to find what they could, but they were also blank.

"Fuck."

"Calm down. This is a good sign. This means that your dad hasn't been involved in anything illegal."

"Carrots. Think of it this way. He disappears for years on end digitally but he's still walking around. Do you know what that means?"

"He's been living by another alias," Judy answered, realizing the scope. "But what alias. If it's this good, then it has to be in the system."

"Cross matching photos for two hundred thousand foxes would take days, Carrots. We don't have that time. We've got 24 hours," Nick replied, checking his watch. "Well, I gotta run, Carrots. I'm going to see if my dad will slip up at all. Dig up what you can. I'll text you when we're out of the safe house, so go ahead and search it after." Nick walked out of the office before poking his head back in. "Hope I don't need to say it, but love you."

"Love you too," Judy replied, looking over paperwork. It was long and boring, but any minor slip-up could be the answer she needed.

She flipped the folder shut and carried it out with her as she walked towards Bogo's office, a stern look on her face that told every officer she passed, including Clawhouser, that she didn't want to talk. She knocked once on Bogo's door and opened the door, hearing him not busy but present in the room.

"Hopps! Damn near gave me heart attack!"

"How much of the ZPD's computing power can I use?" Judy asked.

"Depends on what you need with it."

"I'm cross referencing a mammal, trying to find a high quality alias," Judy replied. "I have the first name we've had for the leader."

"I'm all ears."

"James Wilde," Judy replied.

"You're joking. Do you have any substantial proof?"

"A hunch and the fact that he disappears digitally for years and is still walking around," Judy replied.

"Hopps. I can't give this to you."

"Then…" Judy said, scratching her head before an insane theory. "What were the hounds doing in the late 80s?"

"Weapons dealings before I shut them down," Bogo replied. "What are you thinking?"

"Nick said his family was torn apart by the hounds. Can you give me a list of foxes believed to be affiliated with the hounds in 1989? Preferably the ones with gun related charges against them on top. Unsolved on top of those."

"That's going to take time, Hopps. An hour or two at least. I have to scrounge the electronic records for that," Bogo replied. "This is a waste of time and I don't know why you're indulging yourself in paranoia."

"Please, can you just do this?" Judy pleaded. "I don't have access to those records."

"I'll get Clawhouser on it," Bogo replied.

/-\

Judy set up her laptop in the living room and began searching the apartment, looking for anything incriminating. Her laptop was running 200 detailed pictures against a picture of Nick's father a few years before him and Olivia were born.

Judy searched the bedroom impossibly well, knowing that it was risky what was happening, taking half an hour. She came up empty and moved onto the living room. After five minutes her laptop dinged, making her jump. She walked over, finding out she was right about the alias. Under further investigation, she realized that they had been wrong about one thing.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers. Nick… I'm so sorry," Judy murmured to herself as she dialed Nick's number

/-\

"Hey. What's up, Judy?" Nick asked, plastering a fake smile across his face as he talked on the phone.

"Nick. I don't know how to say this, but you have a right to know and this is best coming from me," Judy started. "We've got your dad as the leader, murder, and fraud, but that's not all. James Wilde didn't have another alias. He WAS another alias. Your father is David Preston."

The news hit Nick like a bullet, causing him to grip the chair for support, catching the attention of the family.

"I-...okay. You're sure?"

"100 percent."

Nick hung up the phone and put it into his pocket. "Do you want to go outside and do this, or do you want to make a mess of this?"

"W-what? You can't be serious, Nick," Nick's father sputtered.

"I am. We know everything."

"This is ludicrous,"

"Nicki. What's going on?" Nick's mother asked, Nick paying no attention to her.

"You want to tell them the truth? Or do you want them to find out when I read you your rights?"

"Nick. Stop this," Olivia blurted out.

Nick's phone buzzed, causing the fox to reach down and look at it, his heart sinking at the sight.

*EMPTY GUN CASE AT THE SAFE HOUSE! HE'S ARMED!*

Both pistols drew at the exact same moment, causing those around them to scream and the foxes to end in a standoff.

"Drop the gun, David!" Nick blurted out, the older fox's guard dropping at the sound of his true name, allowing Nick to disarm the tod. "David Preston. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law."

Nick pulled out his cuffs, putting them around his father's wrists. Nick led him outside, followed by his mother and sister. Nick's ears perked up as they heard sirens in the distance.

"All this time," Nick's mother said, looking at the former James Wilde.

"This is fucked up," Olivia said, rubbing her ears.

/-\

Judy walked up to the group of mammals congregated on the corner, all murmuring quietly between each other. When the majority realized she was there, they all went silent, leaving her room to speak.

Judy took a deep breath, realizing that everybody, including the chief, were there. "Nick is in a process of registering all of this. He needs time. Every part of me wants to go to him, but he can't handle others right now. I'll give you everything I can, but something broke him."

"Hopps. Wilde isn't capable to interrogate Preston. We need you," Bogo said, the doe nodding.

"Okay. I want Lionhart in the room with me," Judy replied.

The lion stepped forward and the pair took off towards the interrogation room. "Hopps. If you don't mind me asking, why me?"

"You're a predator, and one of the biggest ones. I'm not what you would say as your average interrogator. Bogo called on me for a reason. I will get what we need out of that lying bastard. Just play along," Judy explained, stopping by lockup to grab what she needed. "And you're a good presence because of your older brother."

The pissed off rabbit lead the lion, who had put a distance between him and her.

…

 _ **Mid-Chapter Note. I felt it best to write this one in a first person view of Judy, so there's going to be a lot going through Judy's mind and a lot of her experience and very little of anything else. I'm experimenting and I thought it best to go through Judy's mindset in this whole situation. This is JUST an experiment. I may or may not do more of these in the future.**_

 _ **Also, the Lionhart I mention is the ex-mayor Lionhart's younger brother, not him.**_

…

I pushed open the door to the smallest interrogation room, seeing the fox that had caused so much pain to so many out of the corner of my eye.

I held the door open for Lionhart, who had to duck under the doorframe. From what I saw, he just fit into the room, but as long as he was here, I was fine.

I heaved the door closed, it making a slamming noise that was much louder than I expected, but I did my best to hide my discomfort, not wanting to give the fox any advantage.

"I was expecting Nicholas."

'Breathe, Judy. You've seen Nick do it plenty of times. It's your turn.' I said to myself.

"That isn't in your best interest right now, unless you want to be beaten senseless," I replied in the most emotionless voice I could muster.

"Darling. It's going to take a lot more than that to scare me," the fox replied, a wide grin across his muzzle. I wanted to punch him right across the muzzle, but that would blow the entire interrogation. Instead, I placed my sidearm onto the table, pointed right towards the fox. It was filled with blanks, but that information could stay my secret. The sidearm did the trick, causing the fox to shift and his breathing sped up if my ears weren't playing tricks on me.

"The only thing stopping me from killing you is prison, but even then, I'm still seen as a hero and popular demand will have me pardoned. So, give me another reason," I told the fox.

"I don't think that you're allowed to have a weapon out Miss Hopps. You're risking throwing this entire interrogation away." I threw the booklet in front of the fox, who read the title and started flipping through it. "One may not have any weapons when interrogating a suspect in plain sight unless on the uniform," the fox exclaimed, sliding the booklet as far as he could towards me.

Lionhart snickered, now knowing what I was getting at.

"Sorry, Mr. Preston. You're looking in the majority category. You no longer fall under that category. Have you been read your charges?" I asked, knowing full well that he hadn't. The tod shook his head. I smiled deeply, knowing that this was going to be a bombshell for the vulpine. "Mr. Preston. You are being charged with murder, fraud, impersonation… and domestic terrorism."

The bombshell dropped onto the tod better than I could have ever hoped, the tod's eyes widening like saucers and leaned back in his chair.

I took the folder out and tossed it onto the table, enjoying myself a little more than I should have. I flipped open the folder, which contained all the evidence required to charge the fox.

On top was a transcription of a conversation I had with Cutter a few hours ago, just before I called Nick to reveal the news.

 _Officer Hopps: Mr. Cutter. You are comfortable saying all of this? This will be used in court._

 _Gerald Cutter: Yes._

 _Officer Hopps: Mr. Cutter. Do you recognize this fox?_

 _Gerald Cutter: Yes. That is David Preston, leader of the German Hounds._

 _Officer Hopps: Mr. Cutter. This is James Wilde._

 _Gerald Cutter: Officer. I know of what I'm talking about. I recommend that you look into this._

 _Officer Hopps: And this mammal?_

 _Gerald Cutter: Don't know him, but I did watch David Preston kill him._

 _Officer Hopps: Thank you for your time._

I took out the two birth certificates and placed them aside, knowing I didn't need to show the fox. "Mr. Preston. You are aware that you happen to be the first mammal in this city to be faced with this charge?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

"Good," I replied. "Now. You can do some good, and give us the location of the Nighthowler stash."

"Now, Ms. Hopps, I ask you a question. Would you give up your lifetime's work in an instance?"

"Your life work is mass murder."

"Oh, Ms. Hopps. My goal is beautiful. A cleansed city, those who are resistant get to retake it as their own."

"You're sick."

"And you're done. I want a lawyer."

I stormed off, pissed that the fox lawyered up on me. It was entirely my fault, for I had pushed too hard, but I was still enraged. I slammed the door after the lion that followed me out.

"Hopps. Is your gun loaded?"

"Course not," I fumed. "Blanks. I'm not stupid."

"Why was he so surprised about the whole charge with the domestic terrorism?" Lionhart asked. I couldn't tell whether he was talking to himself or me, but I pitched in a suggestion.

"He's trying to play us. Play dumb. He played it very well," I explained, the lion nodding as we headed down to the hall.

"Hopps. He lawyer up?"

"Yep," I complained back to Chief, waving my paw back in anger. "I fucked up."

"You didn't. You got a confession,"

Bogo replied to me, trying lazily to lift my spirits. I bit back my tongue as I was about to call him out.

/-\

 _ **That was… interesting. I enjoyed getting behind my character and showing their thoughts off. I might do that again. We pick up back in third person at 3 am, 5 hours after David Preston was taken into custody and three hours after Judy's interrogation.**_

/-\

Judy woke up in the office, confused for a moment before getting out of the chair and popping her back. She knew that it wasn't good to sleep sitting up, but it was the best she could do.

She looked over to Nick's desk, not surprised to find that the fox wasn't there. Judy wandered out of the office, surprised to find the entire ZPD bustling with activity.

"Hopps! You're up!" Clawhouser called out, quickly walking towards the rabbit.

"I-yeah," Judy replied, rubbing her eyes. "What's up?"

"Chief wanted me to tell you that you'd find Wilde in the interrogation rooms," Benjamin replied, his usual smile missing. Judy thanked the cheetah and jogged off towards the interrogation rooms. She slowly woke up as she jogged, and was much more awake when she arrived at the interrogation rooms. She about opened the door to the room before hesitating and grabbing the handle to the observation room, where she found a water buffalo staring intently at the conversation in front of him.

"So. When was the whole James Wilde concept born?" Nick asked the fox, pouring himself another cup of coffee and topping David's cup off.

"Heh. That concept was born in the bar when I met your mother. I was already a known gang member, so David Preston went off the grid for six years and James Wilde popped into existence," David explained.

"How long have they been at it?" Judy asked.

"Oh… two hours now," Thelonious replied, sitting and watching. "I'm not leaving these two alone, but damn. If Wilde is getting at something, I have no clue."

"Anybody know we have him?"

"Not until I give the press release in a few hours," Thelonious replied, thinking hard.

"I don't know David Preston. Not well at least. What I do know is my father. Now, I don't know how much of the whole thing was true to you, but I am pleading with my father to give up. I am choosing to believe that he meant it when he said he was sorry that he left. I choose to believe that, though he lied, he still cares about me, my sister, and my mother. I choose to believe that he doesn't want to rip other families apart."

"No way," Judy murmured, standing so that her nose was nearly touching the glass.

The fox swallowed before scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Before I give this to you, I need to know one thing."

"Name it," Nick replied.

"Keep in touch. Once a year is all I ask."

Nick nodded and ran out of the room with the paper, scurrying around the corner and into the observation room.

Nick handed the paper to the buffalo and embraced Judy in his arms.

"Good work, Wilde. Go home. Get some rest," Thelonious told the fox.

/-\

Neither said anything on the drive back. Judy didn't have any clue what to say to the fox. Nick's brain was working overtime just trying to wrap around the situation.

The pair silently parked the car and entered the building, now being courteous to the sleeping mammals in their apartments.

Nick opened the door and walked in and directly to the bathroom. Judy heard the shower turn on. She realized that just about everything was how they had left it.

Judy walked over to the kitchen, where a note had been left.

 _Hope you don't mind. I thought you wouldn't want to come home to spoiled food, so I tossed everything and replaced it._

 _-Fangmire_

Judy smiled and headed towards the fridge and, to her delight, everything had been replaced to the brand.

Judy closed the fridge and turned around to take in the rest of the apartment. It wasn't consistent with how much money she thought Nick had, but it was leaps and bounds above what Judy had when she first started off.

Judy lost track of time admiring the apartment and was brought back to reality by a tap on her shoulder, causing her to yelp in fear.

Nick gestured to the table on Judy's left, which Nick had set out a small 'meal' of fruit and other snacks.

Nick sat quietly as the pair ate their meal at the table, a place they rarely ate at. The meal wasn't a five star three course meal, but the pair was happy to be home.

Judy placed her paw on the table, Nick reaching across and gripping it in his own, causing both to smile.

"The fight is over, Nick. We won," Judy told the fox.

Nick sighed, thinking about what he was going to say next. "It's-... It really sucks, Judy. I want so badly to go back to a time before this. I mean… I hardly knew him, but when he came back…" Nick took another deep breath. "I just fell for his fucking lies."

"Hey. It's over, Nick," Judy replied.

"Really?! My dad flat out lied to my mom about who he was! My own name is a lie!" Nick snapped before regretting it. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Judy replied. "What are you going to do about your name?"

"I don't know. Liv and my mom are both taking on my mother's maiden name, but I don't know what I want to do yet," Nick replied in a much calmer manner.

"You should call them. Talk to them. Meet them in person. This whole ordeal has everyone confused," Judy told the fox. "Breakfast is breakfast. Your family is more important."

"Okay," Nick replied.

Judy watched the fox walk off to the bedroom, pulling out his cell phone.

 **/-\**

 **End chapter note.**

 **I will write as much as I can, but finals are coming up, so I'll probably be focusing on that. On the bright side, I'm slowly slaving away at my masters. Good luck to any fellow students on their finals. I need to go to bed now. Night, folks. Stay classy. PricklyPear Out.**

 **;)**


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